Former cycling pro, local coach joins Closer to Free while undergoing treatment

“It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving that they called and said, 'you need to make an appointment with the Smilow Center,'” Ben Wolfe said as he remembered learning he had cancer.

Wolfe had a bump on the palm of his hand that he didn’t pay much attention to for almost two years. Then, it started to get sore and was bleeding a bit.

A dermatologist removed the growth from his hand in late 2024 and sent it out for a biopsy. And that was the start of Wolfe’s journey with cancer.

The 31-year-old was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, which is typically found in young patients. Dr. Hari Deshpande of Smilow Cancer Hospital gave a word of advice.

“From the gun, don’t Google it, let’s get our ducks in a row and work through this together,” Wolfe recalled of the conversation.

“So, normally it’s a disease of children,” he said. “It can affect either what we call soft tissue as it did in his case, or bone.”

Six months after his diagnosis, he’s now in round eight of chemotherapy. Deshpande said the treatment has been an advancement for Ewing Sarcoma.

“Since chemotherapy, almost everyone does very, very well. But it does involve a lot of chemotherapy, up to a year in some cases," Deshpande said.

Wolfe could be one of those cases. He will likely be in round 12 of chemotherapy on Closer to Free Ride day on Saturday, Sept. 6.

“I hope that 100 miles with the support of people pushing me or letting me draft them, or whatever it may be, that we can get through it,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe said he’s used to doing hard things. He is a former professional cyclist, and along with his brother Brian, started a nonprofit to get kids on bikes across Connecticut. The New Haven Grand Prix supports their work.

But Closer to Free will feel different than any other ride. This will be his first ride, and he signed up after doing some online research.

“It had one spot where some of the funds go towards cancer research in people under 45, or cancers that affect people who are under 45, and obviously that hit close to home," Wolfe said.

The money raised through the Closer to Free Ride goes to support patient programs, research and more.

“It does raise money. I think it does more than raise money though, it raises awareness for cancer, and I just think it’s been the best thing we’ve done here,” Deshpande said.

And Wolfe added that there’s something special about the patient care and the staff Smilow.

“I don’t know how they do it,” Wolfe said. “This isn’t an easy thing to do, and they show up day after day and give you their best, and you feel it. You know it’s there. It’s the most genuine family-like feel.”

Which is another reason why he wants to ride this year. His team’s name: “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (you just might slow down a little bit).”

“I’ve heard so many great things over the years about how powerful of a ride it is and now with the close connection, being out there surrounded by others, we’re doing something hard on that day, but we’re doing it for someone else that’s doing something hard every day,” he said.

“You’re riding for the kids who are not only fighting cancer, but they are learning who they are through the battle, and I think for them to see us all ride by at the start of the ride, there’s hope in that alone," he continued.

Wolfe's girlfriend Haley has joined the team, and he hopes to have his dad, too, who’s a cancer survivor. And he’s excited to be riding with his brother and other friends and family.

“I think I’m looking forward to the process of the ride and to really kind of being present and embracing the harder moments the easier moments, the fun moments the feel-good moments, and then everything that happens in a long day," he said.