Category: Le Grand Tour

Cycle Magazine June / July 2023… And Le Grand Tour

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Welcome to June… and to the summer of 2023. Well, if the first is your definition of summer. There are several from which to choose. My focus over the next few months will be continue to write the first draft of my new book about last year’s ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe. I’m now heading south along the Vรฉlodyssรฉe in the west of France (day 25 of around 60) so I should have that draft ready by the end of the summer. However, earlier this year I was approached by Dan Joyce, the editor of Cycling UK’s Cycle magazine, asking if would be able to contribute an article about last year’s cycle. That article has now been published and if you are a member of Cycling UK, you should have received your copy of the magazine in the last few days. It’s the June / July issue.

Le Grand Tour… In 57 Varieties

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Well, images… I’ve just written something for the June / July edition of Cycling UK’s Cycle Magazine (the April / May edition landed on my doorstep yesterday morning as I was typing) about last year’s Grand Tour of Europe and I was asked to provide some images. The magazine doesn’t need anywhere near 57 images so I thought I’d share them here. You will, of course, have to wait until June to read the article itself. In the meantime you could catch up on the Grand Tour podcast and films. All the links are below…

The Sherborne Travel Writing Festival 2023

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Travel writing is very much on my mind at the moment as I continue to work on the first draft of my 4th book, provisionally titled ‘Le Grand Tour’ which willl recount the story of the cycle around France, Switzerland and down the Rhine that I completed last summer. A few years ago, around the time of the publication of the 3rd book, ‘Spain to Norway…’ I had the great pleasure in being invited to deliver a talk at the Lismore Festival of Travel Writing that takes place every year in County Waterford, Ireland. It’s a unique event within the British Isles as no other book festival specialises in travel writing. Or rather, it was until now…

Returning To Le Grand Tour… In Sheffield

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In the last week there’s been a lot about Tenerife but now that I’ve returned to the UK from my short break on the Canary Islands, the focus returns to Le Grand Tour, my 5,000km cycle around France, Switzerland and then down the Rhine in the summer of 2022. Hopefully many of you will have been able to watch the series of four films that were published back in December – they are all available on the Cycling Europe YouTube Channel (see links below) – and listened to the series of podcasts that were released during the journey itself. I’ve spoken about my journey at a couple of events since returning from the continent; at the Cycle Touring Festival and then at my local Cycling UK group here in West Yorkshire. Next week, however, I’m heading south! Not too far… Just to Sheffield at the invitation of the Sheffield CTC group:

Le Grand Tour: The Film Premieres

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In recent weeks, indeed since returning from my ‘Grand Tour’ of the continent early in September, I haven’t posted much to CyclingEurope.org. But I have been busy. Busy film editing… It was always my plan to make use of the significant amount of video footage – over 3,000 clips – in a film that retold the story of the epic cycle from The Hook of Holland to The Hook of Holland via much of France, Switzerland and the Rhinelands.

Le Grand Tour: Part 3 – La Vรฉloscรฉnie (Paris To Mont-Saint-Michel)

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Later this year I will be releasing a film about my 5,500km journey by bicycle and train from the Hook of Holland, along the Dutch and Belgian coasts, anticlockwise around France, into Switzerland beside the Rhone and finally along the Rhine to Rotterdam. Editing takes time but, in anticipation of the full film being finished by the end of 2022, here’s a 10-minute segment of the film that tells the story of my cycle along La Vรฉloscรฉnie from Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel via Chartres, Nogent-le-Rotrou and Domfront. Wacth out for the Musรฉe du Vรฉlo! The music is from the skilled fingers of Rob Ainsley and the audio commentary is taken from episode 054 of The Cycling Europe Podcast.

Le Grand Tour: The Film – Coming Soon…

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Although during the trip I posted short daily videos recounting the tale of my cycle around Europe this summer, the main reason for filming what I did was to make a film about the cycle from the Hook of Holland to the Hook of Holland. It’s quite a daunting task editing 2,500 videos into one film of about an hour but over the next few weeks that’s the plan. To whet your appetite, I have started by creating an into. You can watch it below.

The Cycle Touring Festival (Lightโ€ฆ) Returns This Weekend!

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After over 3 years of virtual get-togethers, the Cycle Touring Festival returns to its regular home in Clitheroe this weekend for a paired-down gathering. There will be a range of speakers offering their thoughts on the noble art of travelling by bicycle, including a certain Andrew Sykes who will be talking for the first time about his 2022 5,500km quest from The Hook of Holland to The Hook of Holland. It should be a fun weekendโ€ฆ