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OPINION
2016 - Creating the perfect cycling year?
Syvain Lappiere & Chris WardI’m incredibly, incredibly lucky (touch wood non stop!) that my lungs are big and my wife is even bigger hearted and that the combination of the two allows me to cycle a lot! Also that my work on the UN Global Goals enables me to work from anywhere (often in Lycra from Giro in Esher!). In 2015 I entered the UCWT world finals for the first time, managed to qualify in St Tropez and finished 3rd Brit, in the over 50’s, in the finals in Denmark.
Even more thanks to my wife is due in that she has a brother we haven’t visited who lives in Perth, Australia. Guess where the UCWT finals are in 2016?! I want to give it a real go this year – before lungs, legs and kind hearted wife give up on me! So I’m trying to plan a perfect year of great cycling leading up to Perth. If you can join me at any of these PLEASE do and if you have better suggestions I’m all ears!
29 Dec & 2 Jan 2015
Cycling to friends in Pouille, France for new year & back, in 27hrs each way (310 miles + Ferry!)
11 – 22 Jan 2016
Ethiopia
I was given free flights for arranging the UK coffee awards. Aiming to do a cycle tour like this. Anyone have any advice?
1-7 March
Qualifier for worlds is in April so need to do big week of training. Will be in Mallorca, Genoa or Nice?
26 March – 2nd April
Family skiing holiday in Morzine. Will ride there and ride Le Tour stage while there.
2 April 100th Flanders
10 April
16 -24 April
‘HARD IN THE ARDENNES’ week with Phil Deeker
16 Saturday : Amstel sportive 120 /160 km
17 Sunday : Amstel Gold ride & race-watch : 150kms
18 Monday : Malmedy / Spa / Stavelot 180kms
19 Tuesday : Fleche Wallonne Taster. 170kms
20 Wednesday: Fleche Wallonne ride & race-watch: 150kms
21 Thursday : Luxembourg Explorer. 180kms
22 Friday : Local Loops. 100 / 130 / 160kms
23 Saturday: LBL sportive 155 /275kms
24th Sunday : LBL race-watch (ride optional)
25 April – 25 May
UK 3rd cat races.
28-30 May (TBC)
or
29 May
5 June
Tour of Cambridge (UCWT qualifier)
6-12 June (TBC)
Girona Gran fondo
or
12 –19 June Dolomites (TBC)
Gran Fondo Eddy Mercyx - June 12 (Verona)
June 13 – June 18 week of dolomites riding
Gran Fondo Sportful - June 19 (Feltre)
1 July
1002km audax
16 July
Hardest one day road race in world? 330km 8500m up
1 -4 September…
UCWT Final in Perth Australia
6 Sept – 30 Sept
cycle across Australia (possibly!)
8 October (TBC)
Master Games in Nice
TBC
Cycle around all London football clubs in 1 day
500 miles round Scottish coast
Please add your thoughts as to what will make the best rides, races, audax's, fondo's or sportives in 2016!?
Chris Ward has raced, bike-packed, mountain-biked and written about cycling around the world.
He's been fortunate to have cycled to the Great Wall of China, Mount Everest, North Korea and Australia, mountain biked across the Rockies, Alps and South Africa and bike-packed across India, Bangladesh and Taiwan. He has also twice represented GB in the amateur world championships, became the oldest Briton to cycle up Mount Ventoux six times in a day, ridden almost every Grand tour climb and guided groups throughout Europe.
It was when he cycled the length of Greece and reached the Peloponnese, that he experienced his best ever time on a bike; endless glorious roads and the odd island-hop, to ancient cities, amphitheatres and a modern-day, tourist-free, holiday paradise. With his wife Helen he has set up Breakaway Greece, in order to share this cycling paradise and their simple approach to life, with others. www.breakawaygreece.com
When he's not cycling he's hanging out in coffee shops, writing books and trying to engage the world in charitable campaigns.
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Screw you Dan Blizerian. #mayaswellpackupandstartsskateboardinginstead