Photo by 3Ten photography
Gordon Vetro talks about his road bikes the way someone else might talk about their kids – all six of them. First, there’s the carbon-fiber Kestrel and his “pride and joy,” an older-model Italian-made Fondriest. There’s the Canadian-made Glacier. Then comes the Douglas, the Schwinn and last, but not least, the Lapierre, a French bike Vetro built up himself.
The Edmonton-based structural engineer put his passion for cycling to the test at the end of June when he rode in two Rides to Conquer Cancer. When Vetro finished the first ride – from Vancouver to Seattle and back again – he hopped back on his bike and pedaled 914 kilometres from Vancouver to Calgary, just in time for the two-day Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer.
Vetro had a lot to ride for: his mom has recovered from two bouts of cancer. Three of his four grandparents, an aunt, some of his mom’s cousins and close family friends, have all died from the disease. “Look at the statistics on cancer: they say two in five Albertans develop cancer,” Vetro says. “I have a family of five. I don’t like those odds.”
By the beginning of June, Vetro had already raised $16,000, with a target of $20,000. To support Vetro or to become part of the 2011 ride, go to conquercancer.ca.
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