Text by Bill Springer, photographs by David Churchill, film footage by Drone Exposure.
After the epic 120 mile day that brought our large group of London to Monaco riders into Strasbourg, the relatively flat and ‘short’ 85 mile Stage Four into Martigny, Switzerland was tame by comparison.
In fact, having a hard day followed by an ‘easy’ day helped us all get to know each other in ways that are just not possible in more conventional social settings. First off, we all slept in and didn’t roll out of the Chateau du Isle in Strasbourg until the decadent time of 8:30. We then returned to the virtual ‘bike highway’ that runs along the canals Strasbourg, on which we had enjoyed a decent tailwind the day before. And unlike yesterday, when it was cold and rainy, the temperature was perfect today and the flat terrain through fields of corn was highly conducive to good conversation.
In addition to raising vital funds for BLUE’s work protecting vulnerable marine habitats, the ride also brings like-minded people together, and their powerful web of influence grows as they converse while speeding down the narrow roads and canal paths of Europe. Ideas talked about on today’s ride may already be germinating into ways to make the world better.
So watch this space to see the innovation that results from conversations that took place today and be sure to check back to see how tomorrow goes. The plan for the day is to simply to complete the 25-five-mile-long climb up the Col du Grand Bernard from France into Italy, and then ride another 100 miles through Italy!
All I can say is, it’s going to be eventful.
Stay tuned.