Together up Mont Ventoux – the Pino tandem connects father and son

Some ideas are not planned far in advance. They simply appear.

“I was out with my son Lars, wondering what we could do with this bicycle,” says Colin MacDonald. “I had always wanted to return to Mont Ventoux. Combining the two was the perfect solution.”

The bicycle he is talking about is a Pino tandem from Hase Bikes. Lars sits at the front, Colin at the back. Together, they set off for one of the most famous mountains in cycling.

Duchenne changes everyday life – but not the desire to get out and ride together

Lars is nine years old and lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a severe progressive muscle disorder. Duchenne affects every muscle in the body. Lars was able to walk until he was seven. Then one day he fell and could no longer walk or stand.

Today, he relies entirely on his wheelchair and needs support around the clock: getting up, getting dressed, showering and using the toilet. He can still use his arms, but only to a limited extent.

That makes the moments when illness does not dictate family life all the more important.

This is where the Pino plays a very special role for them.

“The Pino has given us the freedom to cycle anywhere, at any time, as a family. Not just for Lars, but together with him,” says his father.

Riding together, not side by side

What makes the Pino special becomes immediately clear on the road: Lars sits at the front, pedals along and experiences every bend, every conversation and every change in the landscape first-hand.

For Colin, that is precisely what makes the difference. “We ride as a team.”

It was by no means a given that Lars would pedal all the way up Mont Ventoux. But that is exactly what happened. He remained actively involved from the start to the summit – something his father says would not have been possible on any other bicycle.

Training in the Netherlands – with virtual mountains

The preparations for Ventoux began long before the trip to the south of France.

Colin regularly rides 400 to 500 kilometres a week. But as the family lives in the Netherlands, there are very few real climbs nearby. So he moved his hill training to the virtual training platform Rouvy.

“On some climbs, I increased the reality level to 130 or 140 per cent,” he says. “I rode the Ventoux route there several times.”

In the end, however, the biggest challenge was not the mountain itself. It was working out how to transport Lars’ wheelchair. Because whenever he is not sitting on the Pino, he needs it.

A day the family will never forget

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On the morning of the climb, Mont Ventoux was still shrouded in cloud. But the weather improved with every kilometre. Eventually, father and son were able to continue in short-sleeved jerseys.

They were supported by family and friends: Lars’ grandfather travelled to France to experience the ride with them. Friends accompanied the pair by bike up the mountain. Lars’ mother organised the trip, drove Lars’ wheelchair up the mountain by car, stopped along the way to take photos and took care of everything that could not be attached to the bicycle.

For Lars himself, there was one clear highlight at the end: the descent.

With a broad grin, he sped down the mountain at the front of the Pino – reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h.

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More than mobility

For years, the family has supported the Duchenne Parent Project and raised funds for research and better treatment options, including through “Duchenne Heroes”, a seven-day mountain-bike tour through the Ardennes.

But their ride up Mont Ventoux was about even more than that.

“We want to show that even in this situation, you can get out there and enjoy life,” says Colin MacDonald. “Despite a wheelchair and limited mobility, you can explore the world and experience the freedom that cycling brings.”