Tag: France

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 078 – Le Grand Tour On A Bike Called Wanda / Andrew P. Sykes

In this episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast, guest presenter Andrew Edwards chats to Andrew P. Sykes about his 2022 cycle around Europe and his new book โ€“ Le Grand Tour on a Bike Called Wanda โ€“ that is published on May 1st 2024.
โ€œSecondary school teacher and inveterate would-be adventurer Andrew P. Sykes is back in the saddle. This time, however, it doesnโ€™t belong to his long-term sidekick Reggie. Thereโ€™s a fresh-faced kid on the block and sheโ€™s a bike called Wanda. (Nothing fishy about that!) The new double act set off on a grand tour of Europe to explore some of the continentโ€™s most iconic cycling routes and locations: the Vรฉlomaritime, the Avenue Verte to Paris, the Vรฉloscรฉnie to Mont-Saint-Michel, the Vรฉlodyssรฉe, the Canal de la Garonne, the Canal du Midi, the ViaRhรดna, the Furka Pass and the Rhine are all on the itinerary of this light-hearted loop from the Hook of Hollandโ€ฆ to the Hook of Holland. Join Andrew and Wanda as they put their best foot and only front wheel forward in a hot, dusty but at times very damp quest to delve into the lives, landscapes, history and culture of some of our nearest continental cousins and the countries they call home.โ€

The 90-Year-Old Cyclist | A Short Documentary

Another post of the francophones, although there are subtitles. A beautiful documentary about a very spritely chap. Originally from Italy, he has a wonderful accent which reflects the fact that he now lives in the south-west of France. I’m sure that even if you don’t understand his words, you’ll be able to appreciate the beauty of what he is saying. Very touching when he talks about his siblings, all of whom are still living. We can only hope that the rest of us are still on the bike when we are in our 90s…

La France ร€ Vรฉlo – ร€ La Rencontre De Ses Habitants

Time to dig out your French dictionary and start regretting not having done your French homework all those years ago. Here’s a fun – and very well made – film about cycling across France during the COVID 19 epidemic. His route is not dissimilar to that of my own journey south across France in 2022. Other films about cycling across France are available, notable my own… Thanks to the ever-supportive Simon Johnson for pointing me in the direction of Tortuga’s film. One for all lovers of France (and those in training to become one…)

Le Grand Tour: Day 47 – The Aftermath Of The Storm (Draft)

Progress is being made on the book about 2022’s Grand Tour. The drat should be finished by the end of the year and then I can think about getting this fourth travelogue published for all the world to read. In advance, however, here’s another extract – in draft – that I have just completed. It recounts the day after the night before! There had been a storm at the end of day 46 and here I am picking up the pieces and getting my journey back on track as I cross the border from France and enter Switzerland…

…And I’m Back!

I last wrote something for the website about a month ago, way back on the 23rd September in the run-up to the Cycle Touring Festival. Since then, I’ve been a little busy with cycling and non-cycling matters. Hopefully this post brings everything up-to-date as autumn gradually edges towards […]

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 075 – Craig Fee – Cycling Into The Unknown

In 2017, novice long-distance cyclist Craig Fee set off on a continental odyssey to cycle from London to his friendโ€™s wedding in Florence, Italy. But had he bitten off more than he could chew? In his new book, Cycling Into The Unknown, he tells the story of the journey and in this episode of the podcast, he reflects upon the experience of setting off on a make-it-up-as-you-go cycle across Europeโ€ฆ

EXCLUSIVE BOOK EXTRACT: Le Grand Tour – Cycling The Canal De La Garonne

I continue to spend much of my time writing book four, my account of cycling around Europe in the summer of 2022. I have passed the half-way point in terms of time although not distance and am currently working on day 34 of the cycle. Below is what I have written for day 33. It was a day not without its self-inflicted challenges, mainly to do with my inability (on that day at least) to read my map… The completed book should be available in some way, shape or form towards the end of 2023 or early 2024. Look our for ‘Le Grand Tour’.