Conquering the "Bald Giant" – check!
The "Bald Giant" is the nickname given to Mont Ventoux, a mountain of many stories. There are heroic ones, like Eddy Merckx's stage win in 1970 during the Tour de France, dramatic ones, like the death of Tom Simpson near the summit in 1967, and unimaginable ones, such as the weather always proves to be. Extreme heat to extreme cold, no wind to raging storms – everything is possible, and all within the same year. In 1967, the wind speed hit 320 km/hour, the highest wind speed ever measured.
The mountain is an imposing presence and is visible throughout the surrounding region. Each of the various routes up the mountain is unique. From Sault, Bedoin or Malaucene, each one is beautiful and none should be underestimated. The climb to the summit is never flat, something that we at Realdolmen found out on June 17th when a large group of colleagues climbed the great mountain.
The way up to the summit was never flat, but no obstacle was too large that it could not be overcome. All of us has different areas of expertise and potential, and we use them in our own way. That makes for a rather wide range of skills available. One thing is clear: if you have a common goal, you go for it. Along the way, you develop your talent and potential together. This is challenging, but also a lot of fun. And, of course, it helps tremendously that Realdolmen encouraged us with this endeavor in its capacity as a sponsor and with administrative and financial support for registration and clothing. Our company created the ideal conditions we needed, gave us the freedom to organize the climb, and cheered us on. If you ask us, this is Employee Centricity at its very best.
"THANK YOU Realdolmen! We had a fantastic, unforgettable time. Emotions were running high at the top of Mont Ventoux for everyone who reached their goal! Thank you to all of our colleagues who helped make this happen. We got there together!"
(Serap Cal, Sales Lead Generation)
For us, this activity was so much more than just "biking up a mountain". A group dynamic emerged with an amazingly amount of potential. Several initiatives in terms of transport, lodging and entertainment were arrived at spontaneously. Everyone supported each other to achieve the common goal. Eating healthily, performing medical checks, following training routines, getting equipment ready, losing weight (up to 20 kg!!), going on practice rides...we did it all and we did it together.
We faced the giant and beat him. All of us reached the top. Just 24 hours later, we were already thinking about the next challenge. That is the power of the group. Let's keep working together because...
If "I" becomes "We"...even illness becomes wellness.
"Thank you to Realdolmen and all the colleagues and partners who turned this into an unforgettable adventure!"
(Maarten Van Driessen, Professional Services Datacenter)