Pombal is a historic town in central Portugal, best known as the birthplace of the influential 18th-century statesman Marquês de Pombal. It features a well-preserved castle overlooking the town and a mix of modern amenities and historic charm. Its central location makes it a convenient base for exploring the region.

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Today it was a nice day for cycling. A little overcast and 17 degrees when we left the hotel at 09:00.

We’ve made some plans for tomorrow that I think I can carry out even if the temperature keeps rising. We’ll take it slow and drink plenty.

The trip was harder than the day before. It worked very well, the climbing not to much, but approx. 8-9 km from our destination I was starting to feel the heat and I had to stop.

With good help from Rune—and Rune , they poured water over my head and my t-shirt, and brought water with me. I sat and rested with the bikes for a long time before we slowly made our way through the last eight kilometers to the finish.

Even though I had drunk a lot that day, looking back I think I consumed close to 2 liters during the ride. It turns out that’s probably not enough when it’s this hot. Tomorrow, it’s forecast to be even warmer, and we all need to be much better at staying hydrated.

I’ll let you know tomorrow how things went with hydration along the way.