A bull attack in France has left one German tourist killed and another injured, the BBC reports.
A man and wife were on a cycling vacation in the Camargue region of southern France when they were attacked while passing a farm where some bulls were fighting each other. One animal broke out of the enclosure and attacked the woman. When her husband came to her aid, he was gored twenty times and killed. The woman survived and is recovering in hospital.
The region is known for its bulls, many of which are raised for bullfighting.
While people are naturally afraid of bulls, it’s important to know that cows can be just as dangerous. In August a hiker was killed by a cow in France, and while hiking in northern England I was nearly attacked by cows. Cows are large, strong animals that can turn aggressive when scared or if they think their calves are being threatened.
The Ramblers hiking society of the UK has a good information page about walking near livestock.
Top cyclists train daily to race, often on varied terrain and through different weather conditions. Cycling enthusiasts who might dream of racing one day, prepare one step at a time. They find the right gear, become friends with others into the sport and possibly join a cycling club or just meet on Saturday mornings for a ride. Have you seen them? Cycling in packs on a weekend morning or afternoon? Ever wonder what they might be talking about among themselves?
Other than “that guy in the Honda just about hit me,” the conversation might trend in the direction of unique places they have cycled. One such place, and the stuff of dreams for cyclists, would be up and into mountains. Doing so has become so popular that tour operators are offering package deals that come with cycling experts, mountain guides and more.
In their “Train Like A Local” tour, Italiaoutdoors Food and Wine takes cyclists on a six-night bike tour into the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains in northern Italy.Climbs on their “Train Like A Local” tour range between 900 and 1700 meters and provide an ideal introduction to riding at higher elevations. Held from May 26 to June 1 and June 16-22, the tour attracts adventure travelers that share a passion for cycling. But cycling is just one focus of the all-inclusive package, which is priced at $3,695 per person.
Along for the ride are cyclist and mountain guide Vernon McClure and cooking instructor/chef/biker Kathy Bechtel. They bring cycling routes unknown to mainstream tour companies, sharing their expertise and passion for cycling. But their programming has more than other tour operators.
Participants also get an in-depth introduction to magnificent Italian regional cuisine and local wines. On a seven-day Bike and Wine tour, they cycle through wine regions in Alto Adige, Trentino and the Veneto. Starting in Bolzano, (also in the Dolomite Mountains) they travel downhill to Lake Garda and the iconic city of Verona.
Really into food? Italiaoutdoors also has cycling and cooking tours in Italy. This one, at the foot of the Dolomites, cycles through a diverse region located along the shores of the Adriatic sea and highlights another element of the Italiaoutdoors programming: history. This tour follows one of the old trade routes used to distribute spices and goods from the east throughout Western Europe.
Boasting personal service and a custom plan for every trip, Vernon McClure and Kathy Bechtel, the owners and operators of Italiaoutdoors offer a variety of ideas for biking, hiking and skiing tours via their ItaliaOutdoors Food and Wine website.
Want to know more about cooking and biking tours in Italy? Check this video:
Cyclist Martyn Ashton got his hands on the very same frame recently and let’s just say he put it to test in ways that Wiggins wouldn’t even attempt. No one will ever confuse the two riders out on the road, as their styles aren’t even remotely similar. See for yourself in the video below, in which Ashton finds new and creative ways to abuse this very expensive bike.
A British cyclist named Mike Hall, riding in a round-the-world race, has set a new record for circling the globe on a bike. Hall completed his 18,000-mile journey last week, arriving back in London just 91 days and 18 hour after he set out. That breaks the previous record, set by Alan Bate in 2010, by more than two weeks.
When Hall left London three months back he was racing against eight other riders in the first ever World Cycling Racing Grand Tour. Each of the riders set out to circumnavigate the planet on a route of their choosing, although they were required to cover at least 18,000 miles along the way. Traveling west to east, Hall first crossed Europe into Turkey, where he then hopped a flight to India and continued his ride all the way to the border of Bangladesh. From there it was off to Australia, where he rode across that continent before cycling the length of New Zealand. After that, it was on to Vancouver and a crossing of North America that ended in Maine. The final stage of the ride was from Portugal back to the U.K., arriving at the finish line on June 4.
Halls approach to the race was to travel as light and fast as possible, and to that end he carried only the bare minimum of gear. While most of his competitors set out with 60 pounds of equipment strapped to their bikes, Hall took a little more than half that. This helped him to cover an average of nearly 200 miles per day for the entire three months that he was on the road. Meanwhile, the three other men who still remain in the race are continuing to make their way toward the finish line. One is currently in India, another is in Turkey, while the third is in New Mexico.
As if setting a new world’s record wasn’t enough, June 4 also happens to be Mike’s birthday. He was lucky enough to not only arrive home on that day but also celebrate his record setting win with friends and family.
This past weekend, more than 600 cyclists turned out at dawn for the annual Angkor Wat Bike Race and Ride at the temple complex outside Siem Reap, Cambodia. As the sun rose behind the main temple, cyclists shot off to tackle a 100 kilometer course, a 30 kilometer course, and a breezier 17 kilometer course.
I’m hard pressed to think of a more magical way to experience the temples of Angkor Wat than on a bicycle at sunrise. Throw in a group of passionate cycling companions and a great cause, and you’ve got the makings of a life-changing experience.<
Now in its sixth year, the Angkor Wat Bike Race is organized and hosted by Village Focus International, a non-profit organization that empowers local leaders to serve vulnerable communities in Cambodia and Laos. This year, the event raised more than $50,000 to support four Cambodian slum schools and a shelter for survivors of sex trafficking.
Participants included a mix of Cambodian cycling clubs, local ex-pats, and a small group of international regulars who return to Siem Reap each year just to participate in the race. From the photos in our gallery, it’s not difficult to see why they keep coming back.