The Ultimate Cycling Challenge: My Journey to the Dragon Ride
- martin dickson
- Feb 9
- 2 min read
Embarking on the most formidable ride of my life
Training has commenced for the most significant cycling challenge I have ever undertaken. On Sunday, June 22nd, 2025, I will embark on the notorious Dragon Ride. Initially, I contemplated taking on the Gran Fondo, but then I thought: go big or go home. Thus, I committed to the 296km Dragon Devil, which includes a staggering 4,433 meters of climbing across 10 of South Wales’s most challenging ascents.
For those less familiar with kilometres, this translates to an impressive 183.926 miles and 14,543.96 feet of climbing – roughly half the height of Mount Everest. To put it in perspective, it's akin to traveling from London to Harrogate in Yorkshire, passing Burnley in Lancashire, and nearly reaching Plymouth in Devon. And yes, I plan to complete this in one single effort.
To provide some historical context, in the modern era of the Tour de France, the longest stage was 25 years ago in 2000, when Stage 20 extended to a remarkable 254.5 km. Since then, such lengthy stages have become rare. Since I began cycling, there has been only one stage longer than my challenge, which dates to 1990's Stage 5 from Avranches to Rouen, covering 301km. That year, Greg Lemond secured the Yellow Jersey by a margin of 2 minutes and 16 seconds. I often wonder what he thought of that stage with its 3,365 meters of climbing. One of my heroes, Sean Kelly, finished 8th on that stage.
However, my goal is not to replicate the speeds of those professional cyclists or even the current peloton. My primary aim is to complete the ride at my own pace. The greatest challenge will be to finish the ride. To prepare, I expect to spend many days on the bike or in the "gym" aka the shed on the turbo, building up my performance and gaining a better understanding of my limits.
Approaching such a monumental task and attempting to replicate that sort of mileage is daunting, and I haven't yet figured out all the details. I am constantly seeking new ideas. One theory I heard from Dan Lloyd on GCN suggests boosting my Functional Threshold Power (FTP) to its highest possible level and then riding well below that threshold, hoping it will sustain me through the ride. That sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it?
Well, here it goes – the journey starts now. So, you can follow my efforts here or my other socials and Strava. Links below:
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