Ride Across Britain Day 4: The best day yet

Not just because we are back on home soil in the northwest after cycling 105 miles from Ludlow in Shropshire to Haydock Racecourse.

But because I got to see my family. This epic nine day Deloitte Ride Across Britain challenge cycling from Lands End to JohnO'Groats heightens all your senses. In your sensitive, exhausted state you spend a lot of time thinking about your loved ones when you are glued to the saddle for nine hours a day.

It makes you focus on the little things in life that most of the time we take for granted.

To see their beaming, proud faces bounding through the grandstand last night was a real high point of another fabulous day.

On the bike itself it was another glorious day, until we rolled into Wigan and the heavens opened. Typical.

But the route, mainly through Shropshire and Cheshire, was another stunner. Tudor houses, hidden marinas, picture postcard villages. Truly beautiful.

But now I'm looking forward to tackling my home county heading 107 miles from Haydock to Penrith, through Wigan, Preston and Lancaster before tackling the infamous Shap Fell climb.

See you on the other side. Hopefully.