Passo Stelvio & Eat Sleep Cycle

Stelvio Anniversary

Stevio has a special place in Eat Sleep Cycle history. Eat Sleep Cycle founder Lee shares why on our recent recce tour of the Dolomites. Yesterday was a very special day for Louise and I and also a turning point for Eat Sleep Cycle. At the crack of dawn and in single digit temperatures, we […]

Stevio has a special place in Eat Sleep Cycle history. Eat Sleep Cycle founder Lee shares why on our recent recce tour of the Dolomites.

Yesterday was a very special day for Louise and I and also a turning point for Eat Sleep Cycle.

At the crack of dawn and in single digit temperatures, we rode from Bormio into the clouds to reach the snow capped Stelvio peak. Since we rode this climb 3 years ago we have admired the photo canvas of it on our lounge wall and said “we need to go back there”. It is jaw dropping and beautiful, epic and so hard! I just love the way the scenery changes through the valley, after one set of switch backs and another and another…

Three years ago I had invited Louise to Italy for a cycling trip. It was the end of the race season and we wanted to get away and enjoy some leisure cycling. So I planned the Stelvio and Maratona routes of course. Louise had no idea what she was in for, but mountains would quickly become an important part of our lives.

The first morning of our trip we loaded up with my mountain powder (a horrible concoction of pure electrolyte and fructose) and hit the climb. The night before I’d had nightmares of her smashing me on the climb (which later became the inspiration for our Eat Sleep Cycle logo). At the top, Louise was freezing so we huddled up in the cafe up the steps. We rode down the other side and after some cake and 2 espressos shared our first kiss.

Yesterday was our one year anniversary and riding up Stelvio together was the best anniversary present for both of us. We rode up side by side from the Prato side and as a commitment to our future together stayed together the whole way up. This was all possible because Brian is back at base managing the HQ – without this man none of this would be happening.

Our trip to Italy has also opened a new door for Eat Sleep Cycle and we are excited about the future. We have been working in Girona and the Pyrenees and now we will work in the Italian alps and Dolomites too. These mountains are what made our brand and it’s where Louise and I forged our relationship so it feels exactly the right thing to do.

A few years later… our Classic Climbs of the Giro tour is up and running, as well as our epic Trans Dolomites Challenge. You heard it here first why Eat Sleep Cycle loves Italia! 

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