20260610 The Road to Milan – The Great Pack-Up Begins

🚴‍♂️ The Great Pack-Up Begins

There’s a certain moment in every big adventure where things suddenly get very real. Not when you sign up. Not when you buy the bike. Not even when you tell people you’re cycling to Milan and they look at you like you’ve lost the plot.

No… it’s when you start packing.

And that moment arrived at The Road to Milan HQ (somewhere near Glasgow, obviously top secret) this week, as bikes, boxes, and a suspicious number of square sausage began their journey south.

Gerry supervising

📦 Operation: Get Everything In The Van

First up… the bikes.

Carefully dismantled (or in some cases, encouraged into compliance), the cyclists’ pride and joy were packed up and loaded, ready for their European adventure. Wheels off, pedals off, — but all safely secured.

There is a contest to see who can pack their bike the best and who was the most innovative in use of packaging materials as witnessed in Lisbon a few years ago

Alongside the bikes went the essentials:

Health & safety supplies (because apparently “just wing it” isn’t a recognised safety strategy)
Catering equipment and tables (because cyclists do love a buffet)
And, most importantly…

👉 Extra Irn-Bru and square sausage

Because let’s be honest—this isn’t just a cycling challenge, it’s a cultural mission.

🚐 The Support Crew: Unsung Heroes (and Professional Snack Transporters)

With everything loaded, our amazing support crew set off.

Their route?

👉 Down through Yorkshire
👉 Into the big smoke (London)
👉 Then onwards to Basel

Their mission?

Collect the remaining bikes from our UK cyclists
Keep everything (and everyone) intact
Avoid eating all the supplies before they reach Switzerland

No pressure.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇳🇱🇪🇸🌍 Riders Across Europe Prepare

Meanwhile, across Scotland, England, the Netherlands, and Spain, the riders are in full “last-minute packing panic” mode.

You know the drill:

“Do I really need 15 jerseys?”
“What if it rains?”
“What if it doesn’t rain?”
“What if I need two leg warmers?”

Suitcases are being filled with:

Road to Milan kits (multiple… obviously)
Arm warmers
Leg warmers
Jackets
More jackets (just in case the first jacket gets lonely)

And then… the wildcard item:

👉 Tow ropes for the Bourg St Maurice climb

Because while this is very much a team effort, there’s already a quiet understanding:

“At some point… someone will need a tow.”

Team mascot – no room in van today, sorry

🇨🇭 Next Stop: Basel

All roads now lead to Basel, where bikes, riders, and questionable packing decisions will finally come together.

That’s where it all begins.

Early Saturday morning, the real journey kicks off:

Legs fresh(ish)
Spirits high
And everyone still pretending they know exactly what they’ve signed up for

💚 Final Thoughts

Right now, it’s all excitement, organisation, and maybe just a touch of chaos.

But in the background of every packed bike and every carefully folded jersey is something bigger:

👉 A team coming together
👉 A challenge that will push everyone
👉 And memories that are already starting before a single pedal has been turned

Stay tuned… the next update should include actual cycling.

Or at the very least, someone figuring out they’ve forgotten something important.

Donations – Celtic FC Foundation – Paradise Recovery Cafe

Celtic FC Foundation is proud to announce that all funds raised through our cycling challenges and fundraising events will be ring-fenced to help sustain and grow the Paradise Recovery Café initiative,

Donations can be made here:

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