GRIFFEN 2024 | 22 Charlie Quarterman (2017) Competing in the Giro d’Italia: stages 15 and 16 were the most difficult. I had stomach issues at the time and on the fourth day, the race started with a climb of 40 kilometres. Between the heat and the climbing, I was in a pretty bad state. I perform better when it is cold and raining, like a true Englishman. During another stage we climbed 2000 metres. On the other side of the climb, there was a long descent and we reached speeds of 100 kmph. This time, it was pouring with rain and only 2 degrees Celsius. My team struggled to understand what I was saying over the radio, trying to speak Italian; the guy that went to the car to find a rain jacket returned with only a pair of sleeves. On the final day, we completed a circuit around the centre of Rome. The route was lined with thousands of fans and it must have brought the entire city to a halt. I finished this stage in 13th. I received lots of messages from friends and family at home who were supporting me and letting me know that they were thinking of me. Every day I survived was one day closer to the end. Something inside you makes you push through the pain - you just have to be clear on your reasons for doing something and for me, I wanted to get to the end to show what I was capable of. When cycling more than 200 kilometres some days, there is no way around getting tired, but it really helps to know that when off the bike, everything is being taken care of. You feel a certain responsibility to ride for the people helping you; to let them know that you appreciate them. Motivation is everything. If you really want to do something, you will always find a way. Even when I was studying for my A levels, I knew what I wanted to do – it has been a rollercoaster, but I found a way. You have to believe that anything is possible. For any OAs looking to start cycling, all I can say is just ride a bike. For me it all started with just riding. I never had ambitions to become a professional cyclist, so get out on the bike and enjoy it. The stronger you get, the more pleasure you can have riding with friends or finding out what you like to do. If you are looking to improve, find a local group or club that can advise you. I started in 2012, inspired by the Tour de France and the Olympics. I rode a little with my dad and more with my friends and one thing led to another. It was only three or four years later that I realised I was not too bad at it and it was good fun. I went out to a place near Annecy, where I now live, for a cycling holiday and the entire week was focused on riding and recovery and pushing ourselves to our limits everyday – it made me think just how amazing it would be to do it full-time and that was it. I retired from professional cycling in December 2023. I was able to say my goodbyes and it was a really positive end. It was for a number of reasons, but mostly a result of recurring health issues arising from the ridiculous amount of physical effort and the return/recognition for so much sacrifice. I am already excited to start a new challenge with my Economics degree and hopefully a career in finance in Geneva. David Eccles (1975) I have just returned home from cycling with three friends from Somerset to Istanbul. We covered a total of 3800 kilometres in 31 days, crossing the Alps and the Dolomites. We recorded a top temperature of 42 degrees centigrade in Bulgaria! Kester McMorris (1993) I took part in a Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle in June to July and over 14 days of cycling, covered 1049 miles and climbed 58,000 feet. I raised £1850 for the Brain Tumour Trust and Community Driving School. This was one of the hardest things I have done both physically and mentally. My bike also suffered, requiring an emergency trip to a bike shop for repairs, and suffering six punctures (one a fairly impressive front tyre blowout whilst at speed down Glencoe). There were a total of 23 punctures across the group. There were times at which the easy option would have been to give up and sit in the van. All of us in the group had those days or moments, but found a way to keep going. Will Bright (2004) I’m not a keen cyclist. But every now and then, when my horizons feel as if they are closing in and the years are ticking by too quickly, I end up sitting on a bicycle for a while. This time I flew to Almaty, Kazakhstan, with my bike and a little under 50 kilograms of kit. I had given myself 14 weeks to get home, and as I set off along the edge of the Kazakh Steppe, the enormity of what I was attempting to do, in such a short amount of time, hit home. The heat became unbearable by noon each day, wind became a brutal enemy, gigantic hills felt unceasing, and simply shifting the weight of my bike was savagely draining having wild camped each night – wherever I found myself. But day by day I made progress. The first border came, then the next, and the next – weaving across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan – astounding places to traverse on a bicycle, seeing gradual fades of vast landscapes, unfamiliar ethnicities, and the startling jostle of Soviet and Islamic architecture. Stopping for more than a moment would inevitably lead to conversations, selfies, and being given food by folks, wherever I was – such was the generosity of those who often had very little themselves. Reaching the Caspian Sea, I had no choice but to fly as Azerbaijan’s land and sea borders were closed, Cycling
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