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Unsupported Allez! Australian Cyclist Will Ride Entire Tour de France Route Alone

lachlan morton cycling on flat roadway in FrancePhoto credit: Grubers
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For a unique perspective on what it takes to ride the world’s greatest bike race, Lachlan Morton is taking on his own Alt Tour.

Aussie professional cyclist Lachlan Morton is dreaming big. Really big. This weekend, Morton left Brest, France, heading off to ride every stage of the Tour. Though unlike those in the race, he’ll be doing every stage, even including the distances of transfers — and all unsupported.

Morton started his ride just before the first stage. He’ll have to ride nearly double the distance and make the equivalent of an extra 13 ascents of the grueling and famous Tourmalet climb.

Here’s the kicker — Morton hopes to ride that whole distance and still beat the race pack to Paris.

The Tour de France

Total distance: 3,414 km / 2,121 miles

Total gain: 10,664 m / 34,986 feet

Time frame: 23 days

Stages: 21

Morton’s “Alt” Tour

Total distance: 5,500 km / 3,417 miles

Total gain: 65,000 m / 213,254 feet

Time frame: 23 days (no rest days)

Lachlan Morton cycling in hot pink jersey, helmet with lots of gear strapped to his road bike
Lachlan Morton with all his gear, cycling France unsupported.

“It’s a challenge that in many ways combines the two elements of cycling I have pursued the most, exploration and competition,” said Lachlan Morton. “I know it’s going to be the most physically demanding ride I’ve undertaken, but I anticipate the challenges of completing the route self-supported to be equally difficult.”

The Tour de France Unsupported: Lachlan’s Gear List

Morton’s Alt Tour isn’t just about pushing it in the saddle; it’s also a fundraiser for World Bicycle Relief. His team sponsors Rapha and EF Education will each donate 500 bikes to the organization. Learn more or donate. 

Currently, Morton is ahead of the pack in Redon, France. Official Tour de France riders are beginning Stage 3.

Lachlan Morton, 29, is a professional cyclist from New South Wales, Australia. He’s ridden in a number of ultra-distance cycling events like the Leadville 100 and Garmin UNBOUND, as well as cycling 2,500 km across Australia and setting an Everesting record in 2020. He is the most recent rider on the UCI EF Education-Nippo team. 

guys in matching pink jerseys and helmets biking on pump track

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