Samuel Thompson

__The Rules__

Detailed by [US Métro Cyclo](https://www.usmetrocyclotourisme.fr/tdf-2025), the rules (or règlements) are fairly simple and straightforward, with the pertinent obligations being:

Pass through the 61 controls and gain evidence of having done so.
Accompanying vehicles and support is authorised. However, these vehicles must not follow the rider or be a hindrance to other traffic.
Each rider must deem themselves as being on a personal excursion and respect the rules of the road and the environment. A helmet and high-vis vest are strongly recommended.

That’s about it for the on-the-road requirements. This leaves open the possibility to engage a level of support that would not typically be permitted in self-supported ultra-distance events. To an extent, [Samuel](https://www.instagram.com/touriste.routier/?__pwa=1#) would like to harness this support. Although when considering the principles that are important to him, ceding too much control would detract from his experience and take away some of the personal satisfaction. Plus, the Touriste Routiers had no full support crew.

__Samuel’s Principles__
![tunr 25-571 2048x2048](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7sM9I8d1CucjlzN1jw8DeB/76f0b3f630771e2bd953c1a6823f2da2/tunr_25-571_2048x2048.webp)
The rules set out by the organisers are clearly a lot more relaxed than those we are all more familiar with when racing self-supported ultra-distance events. This is a randonnée after all. Still, they state that this should be considered as a ‘personal excursion’ and Samuel intends to treat it in the spirit of self-sufficiency. In the spirit of the Touriste Routier. He will therefore draw a distinction between self-sufficiency and being unsupported. In fact, Samuel wants to harness the support of others, whether that be moral or physical whilst on the road. However, he also doesn’t want to solely rely on this support and retain control of my experience. He will therefore accept support, without necessarily soliciting it.

There is a balance that he has considered, as although he am enticed and motivated by the prospect of setting a fastest time for the route, he wants this to be in a way that celebrates the self-sufficient aspects of the sport which he finds the most rewarding. The rules technically permit one to have a support team meeting the rider at any point along the route and if the record was all that counted then that may be the most efficient approach. Sure, someone else could come along next year with a full support crew and beat my time, but that would be their choice to make and not mine. He can’t control what others will do and he will be cool with this. Especially if he has inspired others to take on similar challenges. This project isn’t about what comes after anyway, it is about doing the ride he wants to do in a way he can be proud of. In this way he was inspired by Jenny Graham’s approach to her Round The World record. Guinness draws no distinction between supported and unsupported but still Jenny chose to embark on her ride in a self-sufficient manner. Although this added a level of logistics and complexity, this only made the achievement more remarkable and seemed to result in a more enriching experience.

The Touriste Routiers were independent, insofar as they had no teammates during the race or dedicated support. They could make use of what was available to all riders during the race, but between stages they had to fend for themselves. They will have received kind offers of assistance, similar to ‘trail magic’ in an ultra-distance race. Samuel will ride with an open mind to these opportunities. If someone wishes to come and ride with him for a while whilst bringing him, say, a croissant (almond please), he will happily accept this. Such an offering in isolation isn’t going to make or break the ride. With regards to accommodation, he will not be planning for it in advance or soliciting it (i.e. asking on Instagram if anyone has a friend of a friend in a certain place who could put me up). If it serendipitously turns out that he is offered a bed in the right place at the right time, he will take it. These are the most likely scenarios and, although he can’t foresee all eventualities, his principles are intended to give the framework for how he will approach similar situations.

To summarise these thoughts and to be clear to himself, as much as others, about how he intends to take on this challenge, he has set out the five following principles.

- Above all, he will respect the rules and regulations set out by the organisers.
- He will accept support and assistance from others but he will not solicit this or plan for it in advance.
- He will take responsibility for his own logistics and on-the-road tasks such as resupply, sleeping locations and mechanical issues.
- All forward travel will be under his own steam - if he is riding with others he will not draft behind them.
- He will ride in the spirit of the Touriste Routier. He has a performance objective but this is also an experience he wants to savour, completing in a manner that he can personally be proud of.

Samuel sums it up well himself:

*"If I can look back afterwards and be satisfied that I have upheld these principles to the best of my ability, I can be satisfied that I have taken on this challenge in the way I believe befits the purpose of embarking upon it. Maybe I am slightly hamstringing myself from a purely performance outlook but, as I have said from the start, this is not about the record at all costs. My aim is to revive the spirit of the Touriste Routier, combining the elements of travel & discovery with achieving a performance-oriented goal. I still truly believe that the record is a realistic target whilst adhering to my principles and achieving it in this way would be the ultimate reward.

Croire en ses rêves et se donner les moyens."*
![tunr 25-242 2048x2048](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/723TyJE85LYf7KC6S8shTc/1fbcd708d58a819d6ae205ce0888cc59/tunr_25-242_2048x2048.webp)
__The Route__

As stated in the règlements, there are 61 control points that Samuel must pass through, gaining proof of passage, or taking a photograph of my bicycle, at each. The preferred method by the organiser is to acquire a stamp for the carnet de route, or log book (essentially a very big brevet card), from a business in that location. If you know Samuel at all, you will understand that this is likely to result in at least 61 guaranteed visits to boulangeries! (That’s 183 viennoiseries in the bag already then, we are keeping tally)  In the event that this isn’t possible, due to passing through at night for example, then a photograph can be taken and attached to his carnet de route.

Between the controls though, the choice is his. The organisers provide a parcours type which links the controls via a route comprising approximately 4,800km and 50,000m ascent. In certain locations there is also an option to choose the variante route comprising alternative control points. Participants are permitted to choose between the standard and variante controls and the locations are designed as such that the overall distance and elevation for either is very similar.

Samuel have therefore based my route planning on using the parcours type as a starting point, utilising the 18 GPX files provided by the organiser. However, these are provided for an anti-clockwise tour so his first job has been to reverse these and ensure that this does not result in unexpected detours or routing in the wrong direction around one-way systems (ubiquitous in French towns).

Samuel has chosen to use three sections of the variante route, firstly his home town of Manosque is a variante control. The second is to stay inland, skirting east of Bordeaux to avoid having to take a ferry across the Gironde river. Finally, for the third he has chosen to avoid Geneva (which despite being in Switzerland, is traversed via the parcours type) and keep this a 100% francais affair by taking the variante route to the west.

From there it has been a case of running through each stage with a fine tooth comb and identifying where the organisers’ route may have opted for the ‘scenic’ option rather than a more direct route. The route is designed to be as efficient as possible so in places this may involve using some roads he may not choose if he were not in such a hurry. However, he wont be taking this to an extreme by placing himself on potentially dangerous roads for the sake of saving a few minutes. Fortunately, there are very few cases of this in the areas of France he will be passing so the most direct route is rarely that bad.

Samuel also wants to highlight the kind assistance of friends from all six corners of l’Hexagone who have reviewed his route and offered advice and amendments based on their local expertise. As Samuel says:

*"This involvement of others is an aspect of this project that has been so enriching and energising. That people take an interest in what I am planning and are so generous with their time to help is something I am so grateful for."*

The final piece of this route planning puzzle will be compiling route notes comprising resupply options, potential accommodation and boulangerie opening hours (!). It is unlikely he will be faced with any significant sections without the option to resupply (except for Sunday afternoons) but he aims to be as efficient as possible so being armed with as much information as possible and having this accessible on the move will allow me to reduce the amount of thinking he will have to do in a potentially fatigued state. Unless he catches a stonking tailwind the whole way around it is likely he will have to be riding for around 16 hours per day so the less he can stop during the day, the more time he can prioritise for sleep. Over 13 days, running too much of a sleep debt will be unsustainable so he will have to be getting enough quality sleep each night.

if you happen to be close to the route at the time he passes through, please feel free to go and join him for a while. He isn’t specifically asking you to bring any croissants but if hypothetically you were to bring him one, he may well be very grateful for it!

Images credits: [@bite.of.me](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/) & [@theunknown_race](https://www.instagram.com/theunknown_race/)


The Rules, Principles and The Route

Early editions of the Tour de France were true tours of France, taking riders around the perimeter of the country.

The 1925 Tour was 5,430 km over 18 stages, with many over 300 km and the longest being 433 km. Somewhat akin to the daily distance many cover in current day ultra-distance events. The peloton was composed of 41 professionals and 89 independent Touristes Routiers. These riders took part in the race at their own expense as their annual vacation and as a way to explore distant regions of France. They received no team support and at the end of each stage would have to ride around town with their bags balanced on their handlebars looking for a shower in a local school and a small cheap hotel.

Sounds familiar…

For Henri Desgrange, creator of the Tour, the Touriste Routier came closest to his ideal of the athletic endeavor:

“a rider on their own with no help from teammates, battling the competition, terrain and weather for the love of the sport.”

In the intervening years, the Tour de France has professionalised and moved away from self-sufficiency. The routes have also evolved to become shorter and often neglect entire regions of France. There is however one route which retains both of these elements, the Tour de France Randonneur.

__Who is Samuel Thompson?__

[Samuel Thompson](https://www.instagram.com/touriste.routier/?__pwa=1#) is an ultra-distance cyclist, [coach](https://www.instagram.com/acier.cc/?__pwa=1#) and unabashed Francophile. He has over 10 years of experience participating in ultra-distance, self-supported cycling events and independent touring, including regularly racing since 2017. Although racing has brought him a huge amount, that itch for a larger challenge to which he can apply a singular focus has always been there. A simple distance or time goal doesn’t seem enough on its own. For a while, he’s been searching for something with real resonance and personal meaning. Then he discovered the Tour de France Randonneur.

His introduction and immersion into the cycling world has followed three main narratives:

1. __The Tour:__
For many, the Tour de France is professional cycling. The racing, the landscapes, the tradition, the history, France itself. From there, the wider world of cycling opened up but the Tour remains his reference.

2. __Randonneuring:__
Samuel was introduced to ultra-distance cycling through the UK Audax scene. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. One distance led to the next and he soon recognised a competitive spark. This led naturally to racing in bikepacking events, achieving some success, and increasingly immersing myself in this world.

3. __The Record Breakers:__
He is captivated by the stories of those who have set out to achieve something that no one before them has. Mark Beaumont & Jenny Graham’s Round The World records represent the ultimate in this domain, combining adventure with athletic performance. Samuel has long considered what ‘his’ record could be.  His results have imparted a personal sense of accomplishment but the places he has seen, the people he’s encountered and the ensuing experiences are what bring the greatest rewards.

This unbridled passion has worked its way into his professional life through the establishment of [Acier Coaching & Consultancy](https://www.acier.cc), through which he specialises in preparing cyclists 
for ultra-distance, self-supported events. His love of France has also developed to such an extent that he now call the country his home and fuels himelf almost exclusively on croissants. 

__The Tour de France Randonneur__

![Tour de France Randonneur](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/Aza4Cb6aSjeKVTAdlqlJd/1d73cde16a838e71b2a4547184e98616/image_2048x2048.webp)

The Tour de France Randonneur is essentially a permanent Brevet, established in 1958 and run & regulated by [US Métro Cyclo](https://www.usmetrocyclotourisme.fr/tdf-2025).

The route roughly follows the perimeter of France, with riders having to pass through 61 control points, evidenced by a dated stamp or photograph. The rider has a free choice of route between the controls. These include emblematic cycling & historical locations including Omaha Beach, Carrefour de l’Arbre, and the Cols du Tourmalet, Bonnette, Lauteret & Izoard.

Typical routes comprise a minimum of 4,800km & 45,000m ascent. There are 51 cols to summit, 7 of which are over 2,000 m. The start/finish point can be anywhere along the route, which can be ridden in either direction.

The maximum time limit to complete the route is 30 days. Completion & number of days taken are recorded on the Palmares, but not ranked. The current fastest known time is 13 days, 2 hours, 15 minutes, set by Kristof Allegaert in July 2011.

__Samuel’s Goal__

100 years on, Samuel aspires to revive the spirit of the Touriste Routier, combining the elements of travel & discovery with achieving a performance-oriented goal.

He aims to complete the Tour de France Randonneur route within 13 days. All while fully respecting the rules & regulations set by the organiser.

This is a project with a performance objective, aligned with celebrating the traditions of modern-day ultra-distance racing, randonneuring and professional cycling. This route provides a sense of completeness and offers the opportunity to embark on a journey steeped in history with a contemporary approach. Ultimately, this is about accomplishing an ambitious goal with resonance and meaning behind it.

__How Will it Happen?__

This is an endeavour that will encompass the broad range of skills, strengths and qualities required to succeed in self-supported ultra-distance cycling. However, the world of ultra-distance cycling has developed hugely since 2011. Samuel intends to harness all the advances available to tip the odds in his favour.

- He will need to ride more than 370 km per 24 hours to complete 4,800 km in less than 13 days.
- He will start and finish in his home town, Manosque, on June 15th, 2025 which will allow for optimal daylight and (fingers crossed) weather conditions.
- He will employ a combination of Parcours Type and individual adjustments to optimise the route linking all control points.
- He will accept support on the ground & remotely, but will not rely on this (the regulations permit support and contact with the rider at any moment, except for following vehicles).
- He will employ a setup specifically designed for this project, tailored for my requirements.

A line from the book ‘[Tour de France Esprit Randonneur](https://tour-de-france.phortail.org/)’ perfectly sums up his approach to this project:

*‘Croire en ses rêves et se donner les moyens’.*

It reads almost as poetically in English:

*‘Believe in your dreams and give yourself the means’*

__Joining his Journey__
![Samuel Thompson](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/38UgvK4KCnGhBriI8JCqEN/b4faada816f31bd82affa94d29d91d0d/TI24_Carlos_Mazon_DSC09141_2048x2048.webp)
Although Samuel intends to embark upon this journey in the spirit of the Touriste Routier, he wants to involve others and harness their support along the way. Through documenting his preparation, planning and execution he hopes that this will become a shared endeavour and recount a story beyond just aiming to better a record. 

Whatever shape they may take, competitive or otherwise, he truly believes that we each have our own records out there somewhere. Once identified, to achieve them we just need belief and to take action. *Croire en ses rêves et se donner les moyens*.

On June 15th, Samuel will set out to complete the Tour de France Randonneur, a 4,800km route tracing the perimeter of France. Enticed and motivated by the prospect of attempting to better the current fastest recording time, set by Kristof Allegaert in 2011 at 13 days, 2 hours, 15 minutes. However, this record is not the be-all and end-all. The ride will honour the traditions of the route, its links with early editions of the Tour de France, and the principles of self-sufficiency that he finds so rewarding in the modern ultra-distance cycling scene. 

Image credits: Carlos Mazon ([@biziosona](https://www.instagram.com/biziosona/?hl=en))

The Touriste Routier: An Introduction

Samuel Thompson will be attempting to complete the Tour De France Randonneur in 13 days. Created in 1958 and overseen by US Métro Cyclo, it is a permanent Brevet tracing the perimeter of France. Samuel must pass through 61 control points, verified by a stamp or photo, while choosing his own route between them.

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