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Age no barrier to cycling from Basel to Nevers on the EV6
2 juin 2012Long distance cycling holidays are not the sole preserve of young and people and sports enthusiasts. The great thing about the Eurovélo routes is that they are so well planned that they can be used quite happily by families and the older generation. A group of six pensioners have proven this by cycling the 700km of the Eurovélo 6 between Basel and Nevers, through Alsace, Franche-Comté and Burgundy.
These six retired friends, three men and three women, aging from 67 to 77, all adore cycling. Five years ago, they travelled along the Canal du Midi, in France. They recently did one better than that. They travelled 710km along the Eurovélo 6 and the Nivernais Canal to go from Basel (Switzerland) to Clamecy, in the French region of Nièvre, where two of them (Nicole Perret and Pierre Bertrand) live.
Their journey took twelve days in all, with each stage running around 60 km. They loved every second of it. Upon their return, they were interviewed by the regional daily paper, Le Journal du Centre. Nicole says: "About 80% of the trip ran along wonderfully planed cycling trails. It was such a pleasant experience. There were occasions when we had to cycle alongside traffic, in the larger towns. But we had the opportunity to see some beautiful places and splendid countryside."
This has experience has made the group want to explore new sections of the EuroVelo 6 in the future!