One man : two wheels : 3 countries : 1300km.
TCi’s Marketing and Sustainability Manager, Ben Gibbs will be embarking on a journey across Brittany and down the entire Western coastline of France, destined for the Basque town of Donostia / San Sebastián with nothing but pedal power.
He’ll be riding on the French Section of the EuroVelo route 1 known as “La Vélodyssée”, which connects with the Devon coast-to-coast and actually extends from Portugal to the top of Norway!
On a fairly tight schedule, the aim is to complete around 120km each day , camping overnight or staying at designated cycling hostels. The terrain, weather and even last year’s wildfires will influence the experience, as will the great French hospitality and cycling community along the trails.
“It started when I was eyeing up San Sebastián as a place to visit for its food. Always on the lookout for sustainable modes of transport, I was after an alternative to flying and as a moderately keen cyclist, decided that pedal power was going to be the best way to go!”
“As an incentive to push on, I’ll be fundraising for TCi’s chosen charity of 2023, Family Compass.”
Follow progress and fundraising and even add a little donation on his Just Giving page
When
Sailing on the evening of 27th April from Plymouth, the first day’s cycling will start on disembarkment from the ferry at around 8am on 28th April. The aim will be to reach the destination around 10th May, with a little extra time to relax before catching the boat back from Santander.
Ben will be posting regular video updates as he progresses, sharing the fun and challenges along the way.
About the charity
Based in Barnstaple, Family Compass helps children and families to improve their mental health and wellbeing before they reach crisis point. By helping to fund Family Compass, you are helping to provide crucial support at times of need for families and individuals who may otherwise be facing a long, agonising wait for state services. By making mental health and wellbeing support available sooner, the work of Family Compass has a huge impact on our communities and the young people who represent our future.
