I can finally say, that it was a positive day today. With a total of 307 kilometers I had a very good stage. The wind was not as bad as yesterday and turned between head-, side- and tailwind. In addition, I had to deal with “only” 1,500 meters gain of height today.

The ride through Santiago was actually okay. City crossings always make me nervous, but this time the traffic was quite normal. On the four-lane city highway there was a sign every few kilometers that cyclists are not allowed, but fortunately we didn’t bother the police at all. The many tunnels demand a lot of concentration. Therefor I drive as fast as possible, in order to minimize the speed difference to the cars. This actually makes it safer, but you have to be very careful that you do not make any mistake. There are so many manhole covers with wide slots that are not designed for thin tires of a bike. I give everything in this moments! For short distances, I still manage to cycle 60 km/h!

Nevertheless, we finished today’s stage a bit early at 9 pm because the wind is supposed to be better tomorrow. That’s why it did not make much sense to go against the wind today for a long time. If the wind really turns, we will first know tomorrow, but so far the forecasts have always been accurate. Kerstin almost constantly checks two wind apps, so we know when to save or use my energy.

By now, my buttocks really hurt. Whether I can sit down or not is of course absolutely fundamental for my onward journey. That’s why it is a very important part of the daily evening routine to deal with the wound.

We hope that I will finally have a lot of tailwind tomorrow, so I will come a long way closer to Argentina. In addition, we are always happy to have one vote for “Sportler mit Herz”. The voting is possible every day. Thank you very much!