When Pete Stetina rolls up to the start of the 52nd annual Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb this weekend, it will be more than a bucket-list ride. It will be a record attempt, a nod to family history and, thanks to a little friendly competition among friends, a head-to-head with fellow ex-WorldTour pro turned gravel racer Ian Boswell .

“We’re kind of tackling this thing together, not as teammates, but it is my fault he decided to show up, and I may come to regret that,” Stetina said with a laugh while navigating Boston traffic en route to Boswell’s house.

Boswell lives just an hour and a half away from New Hampshire’s iconic peak, yet this will be his first acquaintance with America’s hardest climb. For Stetina, however, the climb holds a weight that goes far beyond the

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