An intrepid British cyclist has ridden a Boris Bike to the top of Mont Ventoux in southern France and returned it to its docking station – all within 24 hours.
Rob Holden summed up the endeavour, which he and his support team undertook in aid of Macmillan Cancer, as follows:
“Setting off from London a shade before 4.00 AM on a chilly Saturday morning, we raced down to Bédoin, the village at the base of Mont Ventoux, arriving on-plan at 4.00 PM local time. After jumping on the Boris Bike in 23deg heat….yes heat, I rode up Ventoux with no stops in 2hrs 55mins…. sheer pain for much of it but ably supported by my two friends Matt and Ian…. drivers, ace cameramen and source of much motivation. After reaching the summit at 6,273 ft, we threw the bike back in the van, raced back through France in storms and crazy weather, losing time…making time, eventually reaching the Channel Tunnel check-in by just 2 minutes, and finally docking the bike back in London at 3.58 AM on Sunday morning. Phew! It couldn’t have been any closer.”
Had the bike been returned after 24 hours, the team would have been liable for a late return penalty of £150.
Boris Bike vs Ventoux
At 23 kg apiece, Boris Bikes weigh three times more than the road bikes normally used to ascend Ventoux. During the 1967 Tour de France, the mountain claimed the life of British cyclist Tom Simpson. The same fate almost befell Eddy Merckx years later when he rode himself to the brink of collapse while winning the stage. He received oxygen, recovered, and won the Tour.
Chris Payne
Awesome feat!
Mary Fisher
How can I donate?
Please reply,
Mary
Yannick Read
You can donate via http://www.justgiving.com/rob-holden1
whobiggs
If only there was somewhere on the bike to put an energy drink bottle?
Amazing, well done.
Rob Tresidder
What a tosser! Deeply unimpressed. Hardly any cycling. Typical airhead/petrolhead stunt. What a waste of fossil fuel! Suppose folk can justify any nonsense these days if it’s “for charity”. I’m surprised Sustrans has anything to do with this. And was that a gas guzzling SUV they were driving or am I just imagining that bit?
Chris Payne
For you to denigrate the cycling makes me think you’ve never ridden Ventoux
Caroline
Brilliant.
Congratulations to all the team. Well done Rob.
Rob Tresidder
not sustains of course, but eta. same comments apply!
Philip Campbell
Rob
You go cycle up Mont Ventoux then ….
And how will you get there?
It’s easy to criticize.
These guys raised money for charity and did so with some good planning and some cycling too boot. They invested their time and money to do a charitable work that also helps advertise the work of Macmillan Cancer Care. Chapeaux to them. Boo to you for being so critical. You go do something better -then you can talk about it. Until then – stop writing rubbish.
Joachim Macdonald (11yrs)
respect for crazy ideas (and boris bikes!)
congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Roger Thomas
I’m with Rob Tresidder on this one. These stunts, which involve more driving than anything else, are environmentally destructive. The publicity gained for a worthwhile charity is outweighed by the climate damage caused. What would impress me would be someone negotiating with Boris to take one of his bikes across France for an extended period of time and taking in a classic hill climb or two en route – pedal power all the way!
Freddy Headey
I’m with Rob & Roger.
I’m sure it was fun; I hope it has raised lots of money for Macmillan; it’s great for someone to take the initiative…
but
“Had the bike been returned after 24 hours, the team would have been liable for a late return penalty of £150.” ???? What ????
For the sake of £150, compared with all the other expenses ( http://goo.gl/Uuxg0M ) I’d have been way more impressed (& calmer) if he’d done the whole trip.
OK, I’m not sure I’d want to pedal a 23kg bike up Ventoux but I’m sure others have done it with a kid on the back or with camping kit or in a wheelchair(google it).
I’m just feeling confused at what is impressing people and the ETA.
London – Paris – London maybe? In two days? ( http://goo.gl/Uuxg0M ) & I’ll pay the £150.
Can I keep the bike? 😉
Freddy Headey
Actually I think it’s the ‘intrepid’ that has upset me. “2hrs 55mins…. sheer pain for much of it” doesn’t count as intrepid in my books. http://goo.gl/Uuxg0M
And a 1500 mile van journey doesn’t either (~68mph ?) wasn’t something I expected to read about on an ETA page.
Maybe just change the headline to
“A British cyclist has ridden a Boris Bike from the bottom to the top of Mont Ventoux in 2hrs 55mins”
btw for other accounts see http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?qryMountainID=4