The Concept
What is
SAD Cycling?
We are the SAD. Which sounds worse than it is.
Stefano, Aurelio, Domenico. Three Italian Londoners who decided that the best way to spend the last bank holiday of May every year was to get on bikes and ride for charity. And we've been riding every year since, with more friends joining the journey along the way.
This is not a race. Nobody is winning. We're here for the journey and to do some good alongside it. It's more about the café stops that take far longer than planned, the unexpected and fun things that happen along the way, headwinds that were definitely not in the forecast, and beautiful sights that make every kilometre worth it. We're here for the adventure.
But most importantly, every year, we raise money for the Great Ormond Street Hospital, a charity that makes every kilometre count.
This year we are riding Marseille to Genoa, 400+ kilometres down the French and Italian Riviera, in support of the Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Why We Ride
Great Ormond Street
Hospital
We've been supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital for a couple of years now. This year we're doing it again.
GOSH is a place that brings hope to children facing cancer and their families — through expert care, world-class research, and incredible support. As a group, we set out to raise £1,000 — and together we raised £1,518, exceeding our goal. Every kilometre we pedalled from Marseille to Genova, every hill we suffer through, is dedicated to making life better for those children.
Thank you to everyone who donated. Your support made a real difference. And it made our legs hurt slightly less, psychologically.
Marseille → Genova · May 2026
We Made It.
The Rides
Thank You
To everyone who followed the journey, donated, sent a message of support, or simply kept tabs on the tracker — thank you. It meant more than you know, especially on Day 1 when the legs were already questioning everything.
Five riders. Four days. Nearly 440 kilometres of French and Italian coast. Around 100,000 calories burnt between us. And one very tired, very happy team rolling into Genova.
GPS Live · May 2026
Track us live
Watch our progress in real time. Judge our pace accordingly.
The Journey · May 2026
The Route
Marseille to Genoa. 4 days. 437 km. Around 4,377 m of climbing. Nobody asked if this was sensible.
Longest day. Big climb through the Estérel. Early start essential.
Shortest day. Enjoy the Riviera, arrive early, explore Nice.
Into Italy via Monaco, Menton, San Remo.
Final push along the Ligurian coast. Celebratory dinner in Genoa.
The Team
The 2026 Team
Where We've Been
Past Rides
Four hundred kilometres through the English and French countryside, following the Avenue Verte. The roads were quiet. The legs were not. Paris, as always, was worth every kilometre.
View on Strava →
Nearly 500 kilometres through four countries — the UK, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It rained every single day. Nobody stopped. Amsterdam welcomed us the only way it knows how.
View on Strava →Nearly 440 kilometres of French and Italian coastline in four days. Nearly 3,100 metres of climbing. Around 20,000 calories each. Five riders who had absolutely no business attempting this. Genova was glorious.
View on Strava →