A big day for my Belgian friend!

Today marks the last and final day for my Belgian friend Geert de Cock who has been cycling across Canada. Geert is the second on the left wearing dark sunglasses.

The Crossing, from Vancouver to Halifax covers 6,534 km (4,060 mi.) and took place over six weeks. There were six riding days a week with rest days on Mondays and riders reach Halifax on August 20. TODAY!! Daily average is 181 kilometres (112 miles) and the longest day is 224 km (138). There are nine days of 200 kilometres plus (125 miles). The Crossing is a timed event.

Geert won the Order of Merrit. The recognition for a rider on The Crossing with the best combined times over mountain regions across Canada in this 6500 kilometre trans-continental ride.

The five stages, with Geert's time, are:

• Hope to Merritt, over British Columbia's Coast Mountains, 111 km (69 miles) in 3 hours 31 minutes with an average speed of 31.56 km per hour (19.61 miles per hour)
  
  
• Jasper to Saskatchewan River Crossing along the Icefields Parkway in the Rocky Mountains, 193 km ( 120 miles) in 6 hours 5 minutes with an average speed of 31.73 km per hour ( 19.71 miles per hour)
  
  
• New Liskeard to Mattawa, Ontario through the Canadian Shield and the western fringe of the Laurentian Range, 219 km ( 136 miles) in 6 hours 27 minutes with an average speed of 33.95 km per hour (21.10 miles per hour)
  
  
• Mattawa to Cobden, a continuation of mountainous terrain that begins in New Liskeard, 190 km ( 118 miles) in 6 hours 0 minutes with an average speed of 31.67 km per hour (19.68 miles per hour)
  
  
• St. Alexandre, Quebec to Grand Falls, New Brunswick, over the northern tail of the Appalachian chain, 195 km (121 miles) in 5 hours 41 minutes with an average speed of 34.31 km per hour (21.32 miles per hour)

Geert's combined time over the total distance of 914 km (568 miles) on those five days of climbing was 27 hours 44 minutes. His average speed was 32.64 km per hour (20.28 miles per hour).

Way to go Geert!!! Congratulations!