Stage 6: Stryn – Anda – Styrn
85km – 927m vert
Neutral. 43km – 900m vert
Early start as 8am free ride
43km, and 1000m of climbing free ride to the start. We took it very easy as no hurry as we had close to 3 hours to the the 43km, and took 2 hours so plenty of time to catch the ferry at the end as well. It was another good ride to be doing free time as climbed up from sea level to 500m, parrellel to the floyd with great views out over the floyd. Through small mountain villages and farms, with mounatins in the background. I could have been in the alps, although the sea makes it Norway.
Dropped down through more tunnels, to Anda and the ferry. A lazy 45 mins as we hangout waiting, eating in the shade.
It is hot! Baking hot, and it will only get hotter
Race is on.
A hard 30km to the sprint, surges and the peleton is too big. A lesson in position and the importance of it to avoid the rubber band as well as not too close to the front so as not to do any work. Also rolling short climbs to get the legs going
Sprint over, and then yet another climb. 600m, over 7.5km. 8% again.Today I was dropped by the lead group again and then rode over the top at my pace by myself. A good training ride in the heat! Down the otherside and then 40km of flat fast riding in a group that caught me to the finish.
Today I won the group sprint in sprint form, as one of the guys tried to jump me, and I took him in a true sprint.
Back to the hotel, 1km away, thank goodness, and baked in the heat.
It only got hotter and after watching the Tour de France and seeing Nibali destroy the field again I fell asleep, but boy is it hot. 30 degrees outside at 7pm, and now is it 11pm and still 25 degrees. Not what we expected.
Hot , hot, hot
Tomorrow, 1000m. a gentle false flat for the first 30km, then a 5km ramp before a 10km steep climb. A lot of it at over 10%. It will be a hot climb.