Day 22, Stage 16
Martigny – Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 159km
Today was the most beautiful stage of the tour so far. We had two massive climbs to complete high in the Alps covering Switzerland, Italy and France. It really was magic and days like today are so inspirational and just made us so happy that we are crazy enough to try a mission like this.
Pre Ride Video Diary
It was very cold as we made our way up the first climb to the highest point of the tour and we were all kitted out with leggings, jackets, booties etc. The scenery was beautiful and I’m sure our photos don’t do it justice. You’ll just have to come and visit for yourself some day if you get the chance.
Thanks to “You and I Ride” I have been riding the most awesome Bianchi of all time which has helped me to get through the course to date and to the highest point of the tour this morning.
We have drawn the competition to name my bike and it was won by Paul Guy. His suggestion of “Ed” was in honour of Bianchi founder Eduardo Bianchi. There were some other great suggestions such as “Celeste” (Bianchi’s trademark colour) and I was leaning towards “Bruno” (as it is a great Italian name and the “Bruno” movie is getting heaps of publicity over here). But, Ed it is. Thanks to all who entered and congratulations to Paul who wins a $100 dinner voucher at Bergerac French Restaurant.
Anyway, we rewarded ourselves with plenty of Swiss chocolate at the top of the first summit and then found another reward in the enormous descent.
The weather warmed up considerably as the day wore on and it was quite hot in the afternoon.
On our way up the second climb we hit a bit of a second wind and averaged about 14kph for a good stretch (that is flying for me on a climb!). Anybody can overtake a vehicle on the way down but I was very proud of my efforts when Dale and I passed a truck on the way up the hill! That was a first for me.
We had a massive headwind as we approached the second summit but it didn’t bother us as we were inspired by the beautiful surrounds and inspired by our efforts of climbing above the snowline and above 2,000m for the second time today. We were really just savouring the stage because we have had a few shockers over the past week and this was just heaven in comparison.
We were rewarded with another gigantic descent and loved it. I love the international flavour of the tour – saying “Bongiorno” to fellow cyclists on the way up the mountain and “Bonjour” on the way down the other side after crossing the border at the summit.
The rest of the day was just pure gold and I loved every second of it. We are staying quite high up in the Alps again tonight and the views are just sensational. I could do this every day!
Stage 16: On The Road
Crohn’s Fact
Despite much research, the exact cause of Crohn’s Disease is still unknown. A number of genes have been identified that may predispose a person to Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis. It is likely that an environmental trigger – possibly a virus, bacterium or protein – prompts the immune system to ‘switch on’ and begin the inflammatory process that leads to Crohn’s.
Crohn’s Profile
Name: Andrew
Age: 43
Lives: New Westminster, BC , Canada
Age of Diagnosis: My son at 18mths
OUR Story:
Our family has been living with IBD for 41/2 years. Our family consists of myself, my wife, and our two sons. Our youngest son, Nathan, was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis when he was just 2 yrs old. He is now 6. For over 11 months, local doctors, our local hospital emergency department, mistreated and misdiagnosed Nathan’s condition. On demanding a specialist, we went to BC Children’s Hospital where their GI’s put Nathan through tests including an endoscope which resulted in January 2006 with his diagnosis. Since this date, we have twice needed to “up”his drugs to bring him back into remission. He’s a tough little guy and always upbeat, except when blood tests and needles are concerned!!
His bout on steroids to get him in remission 18mths ago was horrific. Scary mood swings, massive weight gain all compounded the problems, but he came through and since then, has only had minor flares.
Our whole family has altered our diet, we watch what we all eat. Nathan is a good barometer for us Since 2006, Nathan has raised over $19,000 for the CCFC (Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of Canada) to help fund research to find a cure. We are very thankful for the living angles that work at BC Children’s Hospital, at the CCFC including the over 5,000 volunteers nationally, our sponsors, supporters and all those directly and indirectly who share our trials.
I implore you to volunteer with your local charity which is dedicated to helping others with IBD. We can all help Damian by generously donating on the Crohn’s Crusaders site as well as telling others about his incredible feat of raising awareness and funds for IBD. He is an inspiration to all of us who live with these diseases everyday…..GO DAMIAN! Thanks for your help and support of Crohn’s Crusaders!
Today’s images can be viewed here
Sponsor Profile
Sponsor Name: Cover More Travel Insurance
Sponsor Level: Official Travel Insurance
Sponsor Website: http://covermore.com.au/
Covermore Travel Insurance have been kind enough to cover the travel insurance for the entire Crohn’s Crusaders team. Visit Covermore online to arrange your travel insurance requirements.
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