Greek cyclist does European trip in 21 days! (photos)

Started July 5 and finished July 24

Greek cyclist Stathis Eleftheriadis, a 36-year-old physicist from Kozani completed a great feat by cycling from London to Bologna, Italy, in just 21 days! Stathis challenged himself and managed to win, as he says. The idea of cycling through Europe was born when he was on a cycling trip in Serbia some years ago, as he says. A Serbian bike travel guide egged him on to try to explore not only the Balkans but the rest of Europe too. And Stathis followed his advice and went on an exciting bicycle tour across Europe for 24 days. His cycling ‘Odyssey’ stared on July 5 and was completed by the 24th. He crossed the straits between Britain and France, went through the Netherlands in the Ardennes forest, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, and cycling along the banks of the Rhine river arrived in Germany. As he explains he covered a distance between 100km to 150km per day and experienced the beauty each city and country he passed through had to offer. ‘Cycling at a speed of around 20km p/h allows you to enjoy the route, he say, adding that he frequently stopped along the way to take photos of the incredible scenery. Stathis says the most physically demanding part of the journey was while riding through the Alps between Italy and Switzerland, where there were many uphill stretches and dangerous spots in the mountainous roads. He did come across four major storms in his 24-day ride, but says he was so well-prepared before he left that they did not bother him the least. Most of the nights he rested at volunteer lodgings he found through online social media. Whether he plans to do a similar journey across Greece, he said it was pretty dangerous die to the treacherous roads.

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