Two Greeks from Germany – Vassilis Kirtzakis and Nikos Radis – from Stuttgart, decided in 2012 to ride from Stuttgart to Athens. They managed to cover the 1,500km distance in 17 days.

Three years later, they’re back with a new goal. They will begin riding from the White Tower in Thessaloniki through to Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul. They plan to cover the 650km distance in six consecutive days, travelling in 40C temperatures. Their project – cycle 2 Greece – comes with a message: “Cycling is Freecom – And the closest  you can get to flying.”