This retiree from Dordogne cycles nearly 10,000 kilometers to pay tribute to his mother

Éric Laporte, from Salagnac in the Dordogne region, is cycling to the North Cape in Norway, the northernmost point in Europe accessible by road. The sixty-year-old set off on a journey lasting approximately six months.

He retired on January 1st. His journey began on March 30th. No time to waste for Éric Laporte. The 61-year-old former paramedic took his first pedal stroke in Salagnac (Dordogne). He's now in Finland after already covering more than 4,000 kilometers. In total, he'll cover 10,000 kilometers, reaching the North Cape in Norway and returning to his starting point in his native Périgord. His return is scheduled for September and October.

"I'm almost 62, something could happen to me, so I gave it a try. My message is 'do things, you never know what life has in store for you,'" says the cyclist. His mother died of cancer at the age of 60, just before receiving her first pension payment. He took on this challenge partly to pay tribute to her, but also for colleagues who are suffering from the disease. "I'm not a hero, lots of cyclists go up to the North Cape," he adds.

Triathlete, trail runner, and inveterate cyclist, Éric Laporte isn't on his first bike trip. "Every summer, I had two weeks of vacation and we'd head out along the canals," says the newly retired man. And he left nothing to chance before his departure. In three months, he prepared for his trip: passport, European travel card, bicycle service, and the purchase of suitable clothing. "You can't plan for everything. I want to have enough with me to get through it, and that's the main thing," he admits.

His route hasn't been planned down to the last detail. "I choose my route day by day, village by village. I take small roads to see as much of the scenery as possible. I try to take routes where the hills aren't too steep either," says the cyclist. In this way, he travels between 25 and 130 kilometers per day, allowing himself days off to wash his clothes, maintain his bike, run errands, and rest his body.

"He was stopped yesterday [Editor's note: Saturday, June 7] because he was starting to have difficulty and doubt his abilities. The roads are quite difficult for bikes and not always suitable. The main route north is a fast lane, and the alternatives are paths," confides his daughter Johanna, who is following his journey closely and posting photos of his adventures on social media. Although he is well-trained, Éric Laporte still has to carry nearly 70 kilos of gear.

"I walk to the speaker and the music; it gives me the rhythm." The adventurer rides alone, which allows him to do what he wants. The song "Il voyage en solitaire" by Gérard Manset accompanies him every day. This doesn't stop him from sharing moments with other travelers during his stops at campsites. "I've met Dutch and German people. We drink beer and smoke cigarettes. We're athletic, but we enjoy the good life; we're not in the spirit of racing," explains Éric Laporte.