A 66-year-old Englishman is attempting to complete a 6,500km sponsored charity cycle of the 2025 Tour de France route.
Dyll Davies has nicknamed his journey 鈥楳y Grand Tour 66鈥� - a nod to both his age and the French department of Pyren茅es-Orientales (Occitanie) in which he has lived for six years.
Dyll Davies
As the British pensioner sets off tomorrow (July 5) from his hometown of C茅ret, the official Tour de France race will also begin in the north of the country.
鈥淚 am feeling quite nervous - as you might expect. From my training, I think I am in reasonable condition having done some long rides in hot weather and think I should be able to manage the 160km and 2000m of climbing average I need to maintain, but you can never quite tell,鈥� Mr Davies told The Connexion.
Mr Davies will not only be riding through each of the official Tour stages (3,350km), he will also cycle between them - sections of the route that professional riders are typically transported along. This means that 鈥楳y Grand Tour 66鈥� measures a total of 6,500km including 80,000m of climbing, which is the equivalent of over nine ascents of Mount Everest.
鈥淚 will be tired at the end for sure!鈥� he said.
鈥淭he bit I am most fearful of is a couple of the stages in the Alps. For the pros, these will be the final 'queen stages' of their Tour but for me joining the route at Montpellier they will come much earlier in my ride. Still, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!鈥�
While the Tour de France schedule usually includes two rest days, Mr Davies aims to complete his 鈥楪rand Tour鈥� by riding for 40-days-straight - presenting both a physical and mental challenge.
Dyll Davies
鈥淲hen I did a similar thing four years ago, I learned that you had to break things up or the task becomes overwhelming. This is also why I do not pre-book hotels. If you say at the beginning of the day 'I've got to get to A by tonight' you end up racing yourself and that is a disaster mentally,鈥� he said.
Mr Davies will also be tackling the cycle independently, without any support, meaning he will be carrying all of his luggage, equipment and spare clothing, which includes two pairs of cycling shorts, two cycling jerseys, two T-shirts and a rain jacket.
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鈥淭his is probably the hardest bit of the challenge to explain to people. It would be so much easier if I had a support motorhome with all my gear in - and a place to stop and eat and sleep whenever I wanted. Luxury!,鈥� he said.
from Mr Davies鈥� sponsored challenge will be donated to three charities: Missing Millions France (raising awareness of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome), Men鈥檚 Minds Matter (supporting men鈥檚 mental health), and Prostate Cancer UK.
The collective total currently sits at over 拢2,300, with a donation message on his website reading: 鈥淓very penny you give will inspire me.鈥�
Mr Davies explains that he wants to 鈥減rove that turning 66 does not mean slowing down,鈥� while also sending a message to himself to say that even though he is now officially retired, 鈥渢he pipe and slippers can wait for a bit!鈥�
People in and around the C茅ret area are invited to support Mr Davies in his 'Fete pour le Grand Depart' on Saturday (July 5) from 13:00 at the Comptoir des Arcades. The official departure is planned to take place at 15:30.
Mr Davies will be posting videos and a daily tracking link on his so that supporters can follow along. The will also be updated with regular progress reports, as will his .
Keen cyclists are also encouraged to contact Mr Davies if they would like to accompany him on part of the journey.
鈥淕et up. Pedal. Stop and eat. Pedal. Repeat until you need to stop. Then do the same the next day,鈥� said Mr Davies, describing the rhythm of his daily routine for the upcoming 40 days.
