Imagine you set off to cross a continent on your bicycle only for a global pandemic to stop you in your tracks. That’s what happened to Paul Gentle as he attempted to cycle from Tarifa in Spain to Nordkapp in Norway. The Cycling Europe Podcast spoke to Paul about his plans, his cycle through Spain and France and his race against the clock to get back home to the UK while it was still possible.
The Coronavirus outbreak has upturned many of our lives. I am now unemployed, for example, but in the context of a medical emergency, even that seems quite small beer. A couple of weeks ago, I posted a piece written by Paul Gentle about the first leg of his cycle from Tarifa in Spain to Nordkapp in Norway. Alas, that endeavour has also become a victim of the virus and now been cancelled. A few days ago Paul returned back to the UK from Nice in France. To his credit, however, Paul has written a second piece for CyclingEurope.org about the second part of his cycle through Spain.
We live in surreal times. The world is approaching a state of lockdown. The shops are emptying of toilet paper and hand sanitiser. The Italians are singing from their Juliet balconies. We are encouraged to ‘self-isolate’ at the drop of a, err… handkerchief. Work from home! Wash your hands! Sneeze into your elbow! This is far from normal.
Mmm… Let’s hope I’m there for the opening but cycling the length of Japan in July & August 2020 seems a little less certain than it was just a few weeks ago…
Europe offers some of the best cycling routes in the world. Here are some of the best routes to take your eBike with you for an unforgettable ride.
The Cycling Europe Podcast