Summer Cycling Adventures

With the annual Tour de France now underway and cycling taking its turn on the global stage, it’s a good time to check in on bicyclists around the world. We’ll begin our adventure in Europe, where earlier today Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel won the rainy, crash-laden second stage of the Tour de France, riding 125 miles from Brussels to Spa, Belgium. After the bizarre antics of the French soccer team (especially its coach) during the World Cup plunged France into a national depression in June, Chavanel’s win couldn’t come at a better time. For his part, American legend Lance Armstrong fell during a steep descent and finished the stage bloodied, dropping back to fifth place overall. Read more details here.

Meanwhile, Briton Alan Bate’s quest to set a new world record by cycling around the globe in just 99 days continues. Last time we checked in with Alan, he was just entering Texas en route to the East Coast of the U.S. He is currently in France heading east toward Asia. Alan has only posted a few brief comments on his website during the journey. But given that he’s trapped in the saddle most of the time riding as fast as he possibly can (he has to average about 300 kilometers daily), that’s understandable. You can view his “live progress map” here.

Finally, we’ve been seeing more stories about entire families who are making their adventure dreams come true for months or even years at a time. Take the Vogels. This American family of four began a Pan-American bike journey in Alaska in June 2008. Cycling with a tandem bike and two singles, the Vogels (who have twin 12-year-old boys) are now in Bolivia. Once they complete their journey in Argentina, the boys will become the youngest people to complete the entire Pan-American Highway on bikes. Read more on their blog. If you’ve ever been curious about taking your family on such an adventure—but concerned about the kids missing so much school—the Vogels (both parents are teachers) have an extensive section on homeschooling (or “roadschooling” as they call it) in their blog. Check it out!

Tagged as: roadschooling, Tour de France, Vogel family