A young Breton content creator is organizing a Tour de France to meet his subscribers. He begins his journey in Nantes, Monday July 1st, with an aperitif-run. The idea is to bring people together in real life, not just on social media, and why not, find love.
He is 27 years old, lives in a van and is looking for love. It is a bit short to summarize the life of this young Breton, Thibaut Queffelec. Because despite his young age, he has already written a book, launched his own clothing brand and helped a lot of people. He is not a doctor, but a content creator, on Instagram and YouTube.
Every day, he makes little vlogs and talks about his life on social networks. He shares the ups and downs of his daily life in the van, his moods and his personal questions. Good vibes without making those who don’t have the heart to smile feel guilty. Going bad is also ok.
This year, he is organizing a Tour de France in 18 cities across France to meet his subscribers. First meeting in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, Monday, July 1, at 8:30 p.m.
To have a good time with his community, the young Breton decided to organize aperitif runs. The principle is simple, first a small sporting challenge with a 1 km loop. Each participant runs what they can for an hour, all kilometers will be added up. After having surveyed the country, Thibaut will make a ranking of the cities that run the most, enough to motivate himself a little.
Whether we are strong or weak, we will never be alone.
Thibaut QueffelecContent creator
He thought of a simple, small loop course so that all participants would run together. “We’re all going to pass by each other and encourage each other.” the young man rejoices.
The aperitif-run route organized by content creator Thibaut Queffelec, Monday July 1 in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire.
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© Thibaut Queffelec
After the effort, it will be time for comfort with a small aperitif picnic. For the less sporty, it will be possible to start directly with this moment of conviviality.
What I want is for people to meet and why not become friends, it’s great to think that we are a bridge
Thibaut QueffelecContent creator
“In reality, we tend to put barriers around us, whereas in virtual reality, we feel close to people, he explains, I want to reverse this trend, it should be the opposite! “
Last year, young Thibaut had already done a little Tour de France to meet his subscribers and introduce them to life in a van. But it was a slightly wilder experience. At the last minute, he announced his arrival in this or that city and the spot chosen to cast off with his van and his cat, Numérobis.
It’s easy to say, I have so many people following me on social media, but that doesn’t mean much. Who are these people? I want to meet them.
Thibaut QueffelecContent creator
“It was incredible, the young man is moved, people told me to my face why I changed their lives. I haven’t been online for long, but I get a lot of amazing messages. There, I was able to put real faces to the experiences that were shared with me virtually”he says.
I’m just a little guy who talks about his life on the networks, that’s all
Thibaut QueffelecContent creator
For Thibaut, it’s still a little strange to think that his publications inspire other people. He says he shares his life on Instagram “as if they were my friends in front”. Today, he has 78.5 thousand subscribers and, sometimes, people stop him in the street to ask him for a photo.
It’s weird. For me, you have to have done something special to be known. Who am I to be asked for a photo?
Thibaut QueffelecContent creator
This year, he wants to meet as many people as possible and hopes that friendships will be made within his community.
The stages of the Tour de France 2024 by Thibaut Queffelec, aka, The real Thibaut.
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© Thibaut Queffelec
In addition to the 18 Apéro-runs planned in the major cities of his Tour de France, Thibaut has planned a few more romantic meetings, Vandate.
On May 12, the young content creator published a video in which he announced that he was going to look for love across the country. After four years of being single, Thibaut decided to take the lead. One of his big plans is to travel around the world, and for this long journey, he is looking for a partner.
After announcing his project, his community mobilized. He received 1,500 application emails and countless messages of support.
Among all these messages, Thibaut selected four people to meet.
I didn’t want to date the whole of France
Thibaut QueffelecContent creator
The young man is looking for love with a capital “L”, the right person. After receiving some criticism and advice, he defends himself in a song, published on his Instagram account, “The only risk we take is that it could change our lives.”
“In fact, the Vandates are a bit of a marketing name, but ultimately, they are just meetings” he explains. He adds, “I don’t know where it will take me and I don’t care. Maybe I’ll just make friends or just have a good night. In reality, I have everything to gain from it.”
Two years ago, Thibaut decided to quit his job to launch his clothing brand. The lack of means, but also the desire to discover this way of life pushes him towards vanlife. “I told myself that it was the best way to know the value of things,” he specifies.
Thibaut Queffelec has been living in a van for two years. On social media, he talks about his daily life, behind the myths of an Instagrammable lifestyle.
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© Yanis Flieller
“I don’t expect anything. Van life has taught me to seize the present moment as it is”, confides Thibaut. He adds, “I’m the one who decides whether it’s a good or bad time. In the society we live in, we are constantly focused on the past or on building the future. That’s how we miss out on beautiful things.”
At the beginning, when he started living in a van, Thibaut admits that it wasn’t easy. It’s not easy to meet people, it’s not easy to go out alone. This solitary lifestyle forced him to reach out to others, to find places with people and to be open to meeting people.
Van life helped me demystify the idea of loneliness
Thibaut QueffelecContent creator
“Now I’m free of inhibitions about being alone, I feel like I’ve found myself. It’s a way of life that works for me,” observe Thibaut.
Although he lives in his vehicle, the young Breton is far from the figure of the globetrotter who travels around Europe without stopping. He often stays in his native region and does not go outside France, for the moment.
Living in a van also means a lot of constraints that you don’t see on influencers’ social networks. Lifestyle. “The other side of the story is when, in winter, it’s between 0° and 8° degrees. That’s when you no longer have electricity, you shower with cold water.” lists Thibaut.
When the weather is bad, you stay in 3 m²
Thibaut QueffelecContent creator
He adds, “You can be alone for days without hearing the sound of your voice. The downside is that everything takes longer, showering, eating, commuting, tidying up, etc. You have to set up your house every time.”
Despite the obstacles, he enjoys this life. “I live according to my environment, not the other way around. I like to learn to adapt.” concludes the young Breton.
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