Ben’s Langdon bike ride blog…

With The Langdon International Cycle beginning this Sunday, Ben Miller, who will be taking on the course, will be recording – and relaying – his experience in a personal blog…

Almost started

If you have been following the Giro d’Italia, you’ll have seen Contador make mincemeat of the Mortirolo – one of the steepest hills in the Dolomites. He also won the race convincingly and will be trying to do the same in the Tour de France soon. We Langdon riders have a similar challenge, starting with leaving home at 4am this Sunday morning!

It is getting exciting. Bikes are on their way. Kit lists have been distributed. The sun is, finally, shining, and we are hoping for good conditions at the top of the Stelvio.

The Stelvio Pass is quite daunting. But it does look beautiful. All of the photos you get on Google images either show empty roads or motor powered transport. Not a cyclist in sight. Unless you count the occasional picture of the professionals on the Giro d’Italia. Nonetheless, we are excited to do it on behalf of Langdon. According to the Independent: This crazed road winds up via 35 of the tightest hairpins in a single, unrelenting climb of 14 miles. It gains more than a vertical mile as it rears above Bormio to 2,757 metres, the second-highest paved pass in the Alps. Viewed from below, the road resembles a giant strand of spaghetti dropped from the heavens.

Thank you very much to our sponsors, everyone providing any type of support or help for the trip, and of course every rider for making the effort. See you in Italy!