Sophie's cycle ride, day three

The Countess of Wessex sans cake during a stop on day three of her Diamond Challenge bike ride

(photo Royal Family Twitter)

Hang on a minute. This might be day three and the easiest going of the treks so far in the Countess of Wessex's cycle ride for the Duke of Edinburgh Diamond Challenge but where's the cake? We'd got used to snaps of Sophie eating cake on breaks in her journey. Today, there was literally no cakes in sight. The Diamond Challenge bike ride has taken a turn.

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OK, we got singing and the sight of the Countess of Wessex surrounded by yellow jerseys just after she'd been asked if she might consider the Tour de France but seriously, where was the cake?

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Sophie was cycling around 50 miles today from Catterick to York and after a day of hills yesterday, she said in her blog that she was glad of the flatter terrain and the shorter distance. The Tour de France question came from one of the pupils from Richmond School and St Ethelburga's who came to wave Sophie off and encourage her as she began day three of the Diamond Challenge. The Countess said she'd stick to one challenge at a time and given that her total ride over seven days will see her cover 436 miles, you can't blame her for that.

@RoyalFamily keep going HRH Sophie! You're doing a fab job - here's some encouragement from us https://t.co/crDsTgZ7Hy @DofE #DofEChallenge

— The BIG Sing (@BIGSing1) September 20, 2016

While there might not have been a cake stop, there was a rest and today Sophie visited the Jerry Green Dog rescue centre where she met some of the animals waiting for new homes and revealed that her own pets - Willow and Martha - wouldn't be overly keen on new friends joining them.  She was also given some musical encouragement as the Big Sing serenaded her through the power of the internet.

The Countess of Wessex with her support team on day three of her Diamond Challenge cycle ride from Edinburgh to London

(photo Royal Family Instagram)

Sophie made it to York in time for sunset and tomorrow will see her cross the half way point in her cycle ride from Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace in London. The Countess of Wessex has won huge support for her challenge. All we need now is for her to bring back the cake.

You can catch up with all of the Countess of Wessex's cycle ride on the special page here and read about the Duke of Edinburgh Diamond Challenge here.