Today was really hard and most of all very hot again! Already at the beginning of the stage
I had the feeling that I won't be able to stay with the best at the Willungs Hill. Thats why I tried to go with a group early
in the race. Today our team was in every breakaway, sometimes with two riders.
We had Carlo Westphal in the decisive group. He rode very strong and won both intermediate sprints. After the stage Carlo
had to attend at the ceremony because he was choosen as the most agressive rider of todays stage.
40 kilometres before the finish the breakaway group still had a lead of four minutes. Then Caisse d'Epargne started to
ride against the cross winds and about 25 kilometres before the finish we caught the escapees. Immediatley after that we started
the Willunga Hill climb. There I had to let go at the first steep meters. In January, I am not ready yet to ride at the front.
At the finish I was more than two minutes behind.
Today there were thousands of spectators alongside the route again. It is very nice to see that there are that much cycling
fans at the other side of the world. Tomorrow we will ride the final stage. We will do everything we can to bring Frösi [Robert
Förster, editor] in a good position for the sprint. Tomorrow will be a bit more easy as we start at 1 pm.
Until tomorrow,
Your Heinrich
