The crazy challenge of Alexandre and Cláudia

Go around the world, some people dream of it, others have decided to realize it. This is the case of Alexandre Grandsire, 29, from Dieppe (Seine-Maritime), and the Portuguese Cláudia Lorenço, 30 years old. But in order not to simply do tourism, the duo has decided to challenge a crazy challenge: to go around the world by bicycle, while raising awareness of the environment. “We are quite focused on sustainable development, the protection of our planet,” said Alexandre Grandsire in the preamble.

Everything started from their meeting at their workplace. Alexandre Grandsire and Cláudia Lorenço are civil engineers in London, England. As the young man from Dieppe indicates, “it's been a long time since I wanted to make a long journey, to discover the world. I have always been a fan of bikes, I also made a first big round in Europe in 2020, “he explains.

Difficulties in Eastern Europe

In their workplace, the two backpackers share their passions and from there, the idea of ​​embarking on this world tour. Their employer grants them a sabbatical year. But for this great adventure, it was necessary to prepare, because if one is a cyclist, for Cláudia, it is a total discovery.

“I managed to convert it,” smiles Alexandre Grandsire. “Before the trip, we did weekends by bicycle to England, a good country to train, because there are a lot of hills and rain, laughs the Portuguese. I love sport, but cycling is complicated, for the body too, because we spend a lot of time outside. »»

Last April, they embarked on the adventure starting from Dieppe. On average, the two cyclists travel 45 km per day. They went to Switzerland, to Austria … “Time was not terrible in Western Europe, there was often rain,” said the two backpackers.

Then, when they arrived in Eastern Europe, the first difficulties begin to be felt: “After Austria, we had hot in the Eastern countries. There are a lot of pounds that were lost the first months, ”recognizes Alexandre Grandsire. There were also moments of doubt towards this period, “but being in pairs, it allowed us to help us mutually”, adds Cláudia Lorenço.

Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey … The kilometers parade and the two cyclists continue in a good mood, despite some punctures and a few days of illness.

A culture shock in Asia

After the old continent, the two engineers decided to stop in East Asia. “It's really a place we wanted to explore,” they say. But this time, we had to fly to get there. Upon arrival, they have the feeling of starting a new trip with a new climate, a new culture and a new environment.

After landing in Singapore, they traveled Malaysia, Thailand then Laos … In this part of the globe, Alexandre Grandsire says he is “shocked by the humidity than there, it was a little more difficult to bear” , he admits.

And in addition to humidity, the two cyclists arrived in the middle of monsoon, this seasonal phenomenon with a persistent wind and excessively abundant precipitation. Thus, the course of Alexandre and Cláudia has been changed, “with a lot of zigzags in Malaysia and Thailand,” they specify.

Wednesday, January 8, the two accomplices were still in Laos. They have already traveled 10,600 km by bike and they have to go to Cambodia to conclude with Vietnam, before returning to Dieppe in April.

Each day, the duo meets more endearing than each other. It is greeted by networks of cyclists, by locals … “The bicycle creates the curiosity of people, we are not tourists like everyone else. They are really welcoming when we don't know them. These are values ​​that we may have lost a little in Western Europe, ”says the Dieppois.

In Asia, the two travelers say they are impressed by the culture shock: the different religions are enormously represented, especially through architecture. And concerning the environmental aspect, they are unanimous: there is an overuse of plastic.

Awareness via YouTube

At the start of their trip, the two civil engineers wanted to plant a tree in each country visited. But finally, they preferred to meet environmental associations. Thus, in France, they planted trees to help Montbéliard cows to fight against global warming.

In Austria, they interviewed an engineer in reproduction of plants who saves the genetic heritage of the world by cultivating old seeds. “In Slovakia, an association develops the cultivation of bicycle for travel to Bratislava and Serbia, we have interviewed an association for the design of eco-spill”, lists the Dieppois.

Reforestation of forests with global warming, collaborative workshops to repair household appliances, protection of freshwater turtles … During their stops, they were able to inform themselves and share their environmental values.

“In each country, we see concerns differences on the environmental cause,” recognizes Cláudia Lorenço. And it is through their YouTube channel that they publish videos to share their adventure, while highlighting each environmental actor encountered.

“Our goal is to propagate the idea that the environment must be our primary concern,” recalls the Dieppois. Our videos transmit images of this slow journey and end all with the Environment point ', to make people aware of the threats of local ecosystems and highlight the environmental initiatives that exist. »»

In the meantime, they only have 4,000 km to travel. “We are looking forward to coming back anyway,” conclude the two young adventurers.

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