Boris Bike conquers Ventoux

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.

https://youtu.be/HUWCeAzkc2Q

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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.

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