Florent Foque wants to redo the route of the Tour de France 1938 -

Kenza Benchabira

  • A 32-year-old Northerner will redo the route of the Tour de France 1938 next summer.

  • He will cover 21 stages and 4,700 kilometers to pay tribute to his grandfather, born in 1938, who is slowly recovering from a stroke.

A tribute of 4,700 kilometers by bike.

Very close to his grandfather since always, Florent Foque decided to give him an original gift.

Born in 1938, “Papy Gérard” has always been passionate about cycling.

Tour de France or 4 Days of Dunkirk, all races fascinate him.

But a year ago, the Northerner, 82, suffered a stroke.

If he recovers slowly, the accident necessarily worried his whole family.

So, just to put a smile back on his face, his grandson decided to do the entire Tour de France 1938 route next summer, the year of birth of “Papy Gérard”.

An idea whispered to him by Kenza, his companion.

“He has such a special bond with his grandfather.

It was he who taught her to ride a bicycle without wheels at the age of two and a half.

I said to myself that maybe it was the moment to pay tribute to him and to thank him for everything he does for him, ”explains the young woman.

21 stages to cover in thirty-one days

To finalize the project, Florent took out the road map and began to delve into the archives of the Tour.

On the program, 21 stages and around 4,700 kilometers to cover throughout France.

“We will try to remain as faithful as possible to the route of the time which was really on the outer edges of the country.

At the time, they were really doing the Tour de la France from North to South and from East to West.

Suddenly, I'm looking where to go.

I try to find the exact route of the time to know which routes the cyclists took to connect the departure and arrival towns.

Knowing that we will avoid the big cities where the roads have changed a lot since 1938 ”, explains the 32-year-old cyclist.

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One euro donated to an association for each kilometer traveled

To accomplish his challenge, the Tourquennois gave himself 31 days.

Scheduled departure from Paris on July 1 and arrival announced on July 31 in Aire-sur-la-Lys, the city of Pas-de-Calais where his grandfather lives.

During the journey, the stewardship will be provided by Kenza who will follow his companion in Combi, a vehicle in which Florent will sleep between each stage.

Beyond the tribute to Papy Gérard, the couple also want to give a broader meaning to this project.

Thus, for each kilometer traveled, one euro will be donated to an association fighting against cardiovascular diseases.

A prize pool, which aims for 5,000 euros, has just been put online for those who wish to participate in this initiative.

Florent also wishes to send another message through his challenge.

The former obese, who lost 50 kg in a few years, wants to show that we can get out of it through sport.

By cycling 800 kilometers and running 160 kilometers every month, the Northerner seems ready for his Tour de France.

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  • Cardiovascular illnesses

  • Tribute

  • Tour de France

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