Photo: Ready to head into the night of the Dunwich Dynamo

A glance over the shoulder: 2025

How did it go? My 2025 cycling objectives were:

1. Complete the Italian Grand Tour. ✅ Easily the most important as it was the culmination of five years work. I had to complete the 999 Tuscany Grand Rando in June. 1,195km / 15,400m climbing in under 95 hours. I did it, with only 4 hours to spare so the Italian Grand Tour was complete. I remember the feeling of relief as I crossed the line in Pisa. If I’d not made it then I would have had to wait for another four years for the event to come around again to try and complete the Grand Tour.
2. Complete my second London Edinburgh London. ❌ and ✅. Thanks to Storm Floris the event was cancelled when we were 494km in and had to ride back to London. We did return to Richmond a month later and completed the route. “We rode all the km, just not necessarily in the right order”. As our ride raised £5,783 for Spinal Research then I’m putting this down as a ✅ .
3. Join the brotherhood of the Cinglés du Mont Ventoux ❌ by climbing Mont Ventoux in Provence by all three ascents within 24 hours. Planned for September my climbing partner Andy couldn’t make it so we postponed, again, for another year.
4. 10,000 km for the year. 9,606 km ❌ or ✅ish, especially as I only got out on the bike 68 times this year. That’s an average of 141 km per ride so I’m happy with that. I don’t know why I put total distance as a target as I’m really focussed on achieving events and the kms just follow. I don’t think I’ll put a km target in future. Che sarà, sarà.

It wasn’t in the plan but I completed my first Dulwich Dynamo so that’s a bonus ✅ .

I also manged to make a whole new bunch of friends by joining two cycling clubs: Tenterden Cycle Club and Rye and District Wheelers, so that’s another cheeky two ✅ ✅.

In a year when we were burgled and we transferred permanently back to the UK then I’m very happy with how the year turned out. By far and away the most important cycling achievment was completing the Italian Grand Tour (IGT):

2021 1001Miglia, 1,600km 

2022 Sicilia No Stop 1,000km 

2022 Alpi4000, 1,400km 

2023 6+6 Sardegna, 1,200km 

2023 Transalp Rando 1,200km 

2025 999 Tuscany Grand Rando 1,200 km 

Perhaps more important was being part of the team that raised £17,777 in total so far for Spinal Research in Gino’s name. Gino fell from his bike in 2024 and is now paralysed from his chest down. We were going to raise money for Gino but he insisted we raise money for others. We’re still taking donations as we’re trying to get to our £20,000 target. Click below to find out more and make a donation if you wish. Thank you.

A big thank you to everyone who helped me this year. Riders, clubs, volunteers, mechanics, blog readers and of course the constant support of Jan who spends much time looking after the dogs Phoebe and Bobby whilst I persue my passion.

Eyes on the road: 2026

I’ve decided to go for just three objectives for 2026 and just see how the rest of the year goes. Not least just enjoying the rides with friends in my cycling clubs during my first full year back in the UK:

1. Islington Cycling Club
2. La Centinarolese
3. Rye and District Wheelers
4. Tenterden Cycle Club.

1. Finish my first London – Wales – London (400km) as my minimum Paris – Brest – Paris (2027) pre-qualifier
2. Finish Hamburg – Berlin – Kõln – Hamburg (1,200) as my optimal Paris – Brest – Paris pre-qualifier. This is the only audax I have ever DNF’ed (2022) so I really want to resolve this unfinished business.
3. Join the brotherhood of the Cinglés du Mont Ventoux by climbing Mont Ventoux in Provence by all three ascents within 24 hours. This is the third, and hopefully last year this is amongst my objectives. A group of us are planning to do it over the last weekend of May.

Che sarà, sarà.

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