It's done! It's finally done!

What an absolutely incredible 8 days. It genuinely was the best and hardest challenge I have ever done.

The final day was just a short hop to Cannes, about 75km, but everyone was in high spirits and wanting to make the best of the day to really celebrate our amazing achievement.

We rode up a short climb at break neck pace then stopped for a drink (strictly a coffee stop but a few lager shandies were had) after some expert faffing.

From there, I decided to let loose a bit. An uphill drag presented itself, and some of the speedier riders pullled off the front of our group. For once, I thought it would be a great idea to go with them. We thrashed it up, racing each other all the way, before then cruising to our lunch stop in Antibes.

This was a great moment because the restaurant was right on the beach. It made it feel like we truly had conquered the ride, and dipping our feet in the sea gave that final sense of accomplishment.

We just had to kill some time before our police escort was ready, then in we rolled to Cannes. Traffic was bad so we barely turned our pedals on the way in, but it was just a remarkable feeling to finally be reaching the finish line.

It was also surreal. All the fear, emotion and energy that had been poured into this last week was now at an end. All the pain and suffering was no more, and all the fantastic people I had met were no longer going to be right there to chat to. Still, we shared some emotional embraces and congratuled each other on a job very well done.

Then I went and got drunk.

This ride has been unlike anything I've done before. The training was all-encompassing (thank you again to Rosie for putting up with it). The ride was brutal. The scenery stunning. But the lasting memory will be of what I achieved and the wonderful friends I have made along the way. Above all of that, too, will be the money raised for Bloodwise. It was at the core of the ride, and fuelled every one of us over the mountains. It was a fucking struggle, but we know it was worth it.

Thank you all for reading. Thank you for donating. Thank you for supporting. Thank you for caring. This has been a stupid, wonderful, beautiful, horror show of a week. And I have loved it.

Final video diary here: https://youtu.be/TcmL8LjL-LQ

Please sponsor me. This disease never stops. Www.justgiving.com/simon-lewis-fireflies-tour-2019

Day 7 was probably the best day I've ever had on a bike. Two long and high Alpine passes made it a huge challenge, but with my body now operating at normal capacity again, I was able to love every single minute of it.

Out of the hotel we were pretty much instantly climbing on the achingly beautiful Colle de Maddalena (or Col de Larche as the French call it). This road snakes its way to the border between the two countries, with its peak acting as the barrier. After a bit of time at the start for me to just warm up the legs, I then set off and spent most of the time up the climb on my own. A lot of this trip I have had other people around me, which has been amazing and I have met some truly brilliant people, but it felt good to ride on my own just this once.

The thing about riding on your own is it gives you the chance to set your own pace, there's no speeding up for other people, and no slowing down for them when they're struggling, so you can just get to what feels right for you at that time, and keep going. What it also gave me was a time to reflect on the days beforehand, knowing that all that suffering had been totally worthwhile. It also meant I could just bathe in the beauty of my surroundings.

I got to the top second of everyone, which I was absolutely delighted with given that I wasn't one of the first to set off (though this achievement is offset by the fact the really quick guys set off a little while after me).

We then had a long, swooping descent to the bottom of our second climb, the monstrous Col de la Bonette.

I think, for me, the Bonette has to be up there with the greatest climbs in Europe. It's a brute, stretching itself up 23km at an average of just under 7%. It's not the steepest, but it does go on. I set off with someone I've really got to know over this trip - and indeed the 6 months of training beforehand - and it again put the whole ride into context. Dan had been absolutely smashing his training, but just before flying out he suffered a back twinge which has been giving him grief all trip. Being hunched over a bike dragging yourself up mountains is nasty at the best of times, but for Dan it became complete agony. With him, though, the FireFlies perseverance is absolutely perfectly embodied. Nothing was going to stop him getting up that climb, and it was brilliant to be with him for at least a part of it. He eventually sent me on my merry way, but it was still great to have that iconic moment with someone who has also been there with me through some of my darkest moments this trip. If ever you read this, Dan, I thank you immensely!

When me and Dan parted ways, I just rolled my way up the mountain at a pace I knew I could sustain. My goal was simple: after all my struggles, I just wanted to savour this climb, soak it in, get to the top and know that I had been in control and enjoyed every second. And that's exactly what I did. The views were just astonishing, from looking out through the valley floor, right up past the snowline with lakes, waterfalls, marmottes... you name it, the Bonette had it. Absolutely incredible.

At 2709m, the top was very cold, so I didn't stick around too long. Descending is something that has scared me quite a lot all trip, but coming off that mountain I finally felt like I had found my groove. Again the downhill twisted and turned at not too high a gradient, meaning that you could gather pace and slow down at will, while still appreciating the views that stretched out before your eyes. That climb and descent will live long in my memory, that's for sure.

A final 60km drag took us back to the hotel, but the hard work was definitely done. We all rolled in knowing that the hardest of the ride was behind us, and cursing ourselves for ever thinking it was a good idea!

Tomorrow, we ride for Cannes.

My video diary is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RdGOgnouN0

Thanks to all of you who have donated, I have now smashed through my fundraising target which I am absolutely delighted about! But that doesn't mean I can stop begging you for donations, oh no no no. Cancer is relentless, and so too will my requests for donations, so please do spare some change if you haven't done so already: www.justgiving.com/simon-lewis-fireflies-tour-2019

Well what a day it was today. Day 6 was revealed to be a 212km transition from our previous hotel just west of Milan down to the border with France, and it proved to be a belter.

I woke up in the morning refreshed and finally free of the ridiculous sick feeling that had been plaguing me for the previous three days. I loaded up on breakfast still apprehensive that as soon as I got exposed to the heat outside it might all go wrong again, but thankfully it didn't.

The day was largely flat, moving us from the paddy fields through vineyards right across to the mountains. So for 150km we split into groups and powered our way through Italy. There's a real knack to riding as a group at speed, and I think after a few days of practice we are starting to get the hang of it. Certainly we ate through the distance both quickly and comfortably.

I was delighted to say that from a personal point of view, I finally felt good again. I had the strategy for dealing with the heat absolutely nailed, and was able to get stronger and stronger as the day went on. It's a funny thing about cycling that you never know when your next bad moment might hit you, so you really have to enjoy the good moments when you can, and today it was a 212km long good moment.

The heat was still oppressive, reaching 42 degrees celsius at one point, but as we got closer and closer to the hotel we began to climb and with that came a much more forgiving drop in temperature.

To get to our overnight location, we turned off the main drag and onto one of the most fun roads I've been on in a long time. It undulated, it flowed left and right, and all the while it was surrounded by the backdrop of the mountains that straddle the border between Italy and France. Such was the lush greenery on the horizon, all I could think of was the approach to Jurassic Park in the helicopter. It was outrageous.

The cherry on the top of the cake today was a nice little punchy climb that took us up to the hotel - only 500m long but enough for me to stretch my legs ahead of some proper mountains again tomorrow. I'm so glad to finally write that I enjoyed a day again, especially one as long as this!

My video diary is now up on YouTube, and features some actual smiling and happy words! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBqCkcRczH4

With only two days left, I am so so close to my fundraising target. Any one of you could be the one who takes me past that point, and believe me when I say it, I will be so so delighted when that milestone is hit. If you want to be that person, or just want to help get someone else closer to being that person, sponsor me here: www.justgiving.com/simon-lewis-fireflies-tour-2019

Cheers!
S

90km. 56 miles. If you set off on any given Saturday and cycled 56 miles would you call that a rest day? Probably not. But that was effectively what today's stage was for us.

We set off from Lake Como in yet more blazing sunshine and 35 degree heat and headed into a beautiful climb that showed us the lake in all its glory among the hills. I was too focused on not overheating so didn't take any photos. Sorry. 

From there it was a pedal-to-the-metal thrash down towards our hotel, via a pizzeria lunch stop.

My body still wasn't quite right. I felt sick in the  morning and then when eating at lunch I only began to feel worse. One of the tour organisers grabbed me a big bag of ice, shoved it down my back and I was right as rain.

We were back at the hotel in good time, so we could enjoy a nice dip in the pool to ease our aching bodies.

The real headline today, however, was at dinner. It is tradition on FireFlies tours for there to be an evening where people are invited to stand up and speak about why they are doing the ride, and who they are carrying with them as they power up the mountains. As I have mentioned before, all the money we raise goes to Bloodwise who do amazing things in the world of cancer research and treatment. I took my turn to explain that I am lucky enough not to have lost anyone close to me, but that it didn't make me any less committed to helping fight this terrible disease. 

The stories and experiences of others, though, really brought home the reality of why this ride is so important. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, friends. Anyone can get diagnosed at any point, and that very message is what carries us forward to raise money. The spirit of the FireFlies and the conversations you have while suffering up the next stupidly steep hairpin on a mountain are what helps us through, but it's that continuing battle against cancer that brought us here.

So, as I prepare to go to sleep before a big 211km cycle tomorrow, please think to donate not for me and my suffering, but to stop other people's: www.justgiving.com/simon-lewis-fireflies-tour-2019 

Video diary is here, sorry that there aren't more photos or videos from on the road but again I was trying not to feel sick: https://youtu.be/_36ah8ycCo8

Bye!

Day 4 was by comparison to the days that preceded it a relatively 'easy' day. Still over 100 miles, and with 2000m of climbing, but yeah... easy.

It all began brilliantly. I felt much better than I had done yesterday, and we all did a nice big group climb before stopping for a drink at the top. All very social.

A big descent and then a 90km flat stretch took us to the shores of Lake Como. What a sight to behold. Sparkling water and lush green hills made for an amazing arrival. The ride over was hot, but it was great fun to ride as a pack and really get into the swing of operating as a team to protect each other from the wind. I got told I was very good at it, which was a nice rare compliment! I can also tell you that when riding for hours and hours in the blazing heat, watermelon tastes like it was handed to you by the gods themselves.

Then it all went wrong.

We stopped by Lake Como for a quick dip of the feet in the water (bliss) and an ice cream (also bliss) then boarded a ferry over to Ballagio.

My word it was hot. I felt the sun bake down on me and it instantly made me feel bad. I chugged a couple of cans of coke, some pizza, a sandwich, some sweets and thought 'great, I'll be fine to get up a 12km climb'. Wrong.

3km in, and my head was spinning. I emptied both of my bottles over my head, but it made no difference. I felt like I was going to topple over, so I brought myself to a stop and then collapsed to the ground. A few other riders stopped to ply me with drink and cover me with water. One then checked my pulse and said it was extremely low. My pupils were the size of pin pricks. A quick call to the tour organisers and I was shipped off into the van. Two days in a row. Fuck. It was devastating but utterly the right decision. Had I gone any further I would have passed out and who knows what else from there.

Tomorrow is a shorter, much flatter day, so hopefully I can bounce back.

Here is the video diary from today. I hope to have a happier one for you tomorrow! https://youtu.be/TJsq9RsImd8

Please make this suffering worthwhile, and help improve the lives of those who suffer far far worse: www.justgiving.com/simon-lewis-fireflies-tour-2019

Fingers crossed for tomorrow,
Simon

Day 3... where to start with day 3... this was the so-called 'queen stage', a phrase used in cycling to describe the hardest day of any race.

A 70km 'flat' ride across the valley floor (1000m of climbing is why I put the word flat in inverted commas) led us to the foot of the Umbrail Pass, and further above that, the Stelvio.

I was in a bad state. Everything I ate or drank made me feel sick, and I struggled to keep pace with everyone around me.

I piled on cake, coke, energy drinks, energy bars, sandwiches, pizza and nothing worked.

The Stelvio was savage. 17km at 9% gradient, which - for those who don't know much about gradients - is about the same steepness as the hill up from Archway to Highgate. But 17km of unrelenting steep.

It was a slog, but the views around me at least made the pain worth it. The snow surrounding me as I reached the top was breathtaking, as was looking back to see the road that I'd just suffered on snaking its way up.

I had a cry at the top, it was hard not to.

The wind was howling and it was too much for me to feel safe in, so for the downhill I got in the van. It felt like a cop out, but I was in no state to take myself down it.

Next up was the Passo del Mortirolo. This was the climb I'd been most scared of doing. If the Stelvio was savage, this was downright obscene. Long stretches jump up to 16%, which for comparison is about as steep as cycling directly up into the sky. It is one of the most feared climbs in all of cycling, and it was clear why. For the most part I felt like I could barely turn the pedals. It felt like the climb was never going to end, and I continually had to pull over to take some deep breaths and avoid being sick. I was absolutely dragged up the climb by the other riders. The relief at the top and the sense of achievement to complete something that even pro cyclists are scared of was incomparable.

I tried my hand at the descent but in my exhausted state (and with my great hatred of descending) I gave up the ghost halfway down. Another trip in the van to finish the day left a sour taste, but hopefully tomorrow I can come back stronger.

The day was still brutal, even with my downhill trips in the van. 4000m of climbing in 150km... I won't forget that in a hurry.

Here's a link to my day 3 video diary: https://youtu.be/ZjZ3w5Ps1Dg

Please donate if you haven't. These donations are really making all the pain worth it. www.justgiving.com/simon-lewis-fireflies-tour-2019

Hi everyone,

Day two has drawn itself to a close, and what an absolute stunner it was. Today we followed some of the route of the famous 'Sella Ronda' cycle race, taking in three epic Dolomite climbs (and one a bit later on), and my god did the scenery deliver.

There's something extremely striking about the Dolomites, the rock formations are jagged, the snow seemingly hangs onto the side of mountains at impossible angles, but about their hills... they're steep.

We were faced with a day of two halves really. Part 1) 4 mountain climbs in 95km, totally over 3000m climbing, Part 2) a long downhill stretch before a flat ride back to our hotel, totalling about 65km.

The scenery just about dragged me up the climbs (along with Steve Joyce when it came to the last two) but I enjoyed every minute of them. It was another 100+ mile day, so the legs are really feeling it and I still end up getting back to the hotel with so much salt soaked into my clothes that I pretty much look like a snowman.

It's bringing it home how important the camaraderie is between the riders: when you're feeling low, someone else will dig in and help you, and when you're feeling strong, you do exactly the same for them.

On Day 1 we all waited outside until 10pm to cheer home the final riders who had been suffering in torrential downpour. Today everyone was home at a much more sensible hour, but we still shared hugs and fist bumps to reflect on the hardships faced that day.

Below is a link to my day 2 video diary, and I promise I will do a big post with all the photos from the first day soon...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVzL4dLCPzE

Remember, this is all in the name of raising money for those who suffer far more than I will on these climbs. No matter how hard this is, their battle is far more daunting. So again, if you haven't sponsored me, please do: www.justgiving.com/simon-lewis-fireflies-tour-2019

Peace out,
Simon