Even for men as mentally and physically durable as former England Grand Slam back rowers Peter Winterbottom and Mike Teague, the 3,250 mile USA coast-to-coast bike ride from San Francisco to New York has been a monumental challenge.
The ride, which is in support of Doddie Weir’s MyName5 Doddie Foundation to try to find a cure for MND, the disease which took the indomitable Scotland lock’s life, is one which would have resonated with him.
With mountain ranges like the Sierra Nevada in California, the mighty Rockies in Utah and Colorado, and the Appalachians of the east to climb, as well as the long haul across the mid-west through Kansas, Missouri, and Indiana, before the final leg across Ohio and Pennsylvania to New York, the 36-day ride has been a daunting prospect.
When we called Winterbottom during the group’s stopover in Indianapolis on Thursday, he was candid about the gruelling journey they and the other riders – former Harlequins scrum-half Craig Luxton, David Clein, Eddie Pockney, Paul Brennan, and Gerald Patterson – have faced.
“It’s been bloody brutal”, said the former England and Lions open-side flanker. “For most of the first two weeks we went over the mountains climbing over a couple of 10,000 feet passes, which included eight mile climbs, and long days of 100-120 miles”.
However, Winterbottom added that everyone was holding-up pretty well, despite the prospect of another 10 days in the saddle.
Picking out a couple of highlights, he said: “One of the best days was in Utah when we were up around 10,000 feet, and then rode downhill for 28 miles into a small cowboy town called Duchesne. It was in the middle of nowhere, but there was this rodeo going on, where we had a great time watching stuff like barrel racing”.
Winterbottom’s travelogue continued: “Everything is big – roads, trucks, mountains, and farms. In Colorado, we saw a single feed-lot being built for 300,000 head of cattle to be fattened up. We then met a bloke called Greg, who had a midwest farm with 24,000 pigs!”
“The Americans couldn’t have been more helpful and generous. For example, we stopped in Brookfield, Missouri and met another farmer, Doug. When he heard we were cycling across the States to fund raise for MND he pointed to a food store across the road, which he owned, and told us to get what we wanted for free, including giving us $500-worth of steak”.
Winterbottom added his thanks to the ride’s support group, especially mechanic Dave Weighell, physio Paul Sidi (ex Harlequins), cook Sam Brag-man, and those driving and cleaning the RVs, including his wife Trish,
Surveying the road ahead, with a couple of 7,500 feet climbs in the Appalachians to come, Winterbottom concluded: “We’ve got a few more days hard cycling, and then three days that will be easier before we get to New York – and have a big party!”
To donate visit: www. justgiving.com/campaign/doddie5rideusa
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