This was my longest day so far, and the most beautiful and spectacular. No need for an alarm again – this time it was the 6.00 flight landing over the campsite on the runway next door. So up and away at 7 for a 26 mile run to a 10.00 ferry.

So there was time for some moose hunting. At this stage of the trip approaching from down wind is essential.

Then a spectacular bridge.

At this point the sun came out – and there was a tail wind to the ferry. Heaven. In fact I only just missed the 8.45.

In Nesna I bought food for 2 days in the coop, and had a second breakfast. Off came the leg warmers!

About 3 miles out of town I met Gierty – who had just fixed a puncture. But he had decided to go back to Nesna in search of a spare tube and to get the pressures checked. I didn’t have a tube his size, so I left him to it.

Next came about 350m of climbing – and quite steep. This was because there’s no possible route at fjord level because of huge and unstable cliffs dropping straight into the water. For the first time I got properly hot and mobbed by flies. You would think they’d have evolved to avoid being inhaled by long distance cyclists – but no. Still the view from the top was fantastic.

 Soon the sun disappeared and the air is still very cold – so the descent was freezing. Then it was round the head of the fjord and back down the other side. By now I was tired, and the return leg was back into an increasing head wind. Lucky the views were good because it became a bit of a trial.

 I stopped 10 miles short of where I intended, and was so tired I hit the wrong button on the garmin and failed to save the ride from Nesna. Total for the day about 75 miles and 600m of climbing.

Just seen Cummings win on the Aspin. Can’t believe they did just the Aspin – Tim and I prefaced it with the Tourmalet!