Lachlan Morton is 600km Ahead of the Peloton (and Back in Normal Shoes)

Photos courtesy of EF Racing

For those not following along, Australian EF rider Lachlan Morton set off from the start of the Tour de France on the same day as the peloton with the wild idea of beating them to the finish in Paris. During this “Alt Tour,” he plants to do so by pedaling every stage—plus every transfer—completely unsupported. This effort is a fundraising initiative for World Bicycle Relief, an organization that provides bikes to young people in developing countries in order to help them access education. Thus far, the Alt Tour has raised over 230,000 Euros ($273,000 USD).

Now well over a week in, Lachlan finished his second ascent of Mont Ventoux this morning and is getting ready to push onward to stage 12. In total, Lachlan has ridden for 10 days, covering 2,925 kilometers with over 35,300 meters of climbing under his belt.

Along the way, Lachlan has faced a number of challenges, including loads of tire punctures. On day three—a 300-kilometer effort made harder by a sore knee—he decided to ride in sandals and a pair of flat pedals he procured along the way due to ongoing knee pain. On day eight, after riding in sandals for several days, he switched back to clipless shoes and pedals after breaking a strap.

Yesterday, Lachlan struggled with foot pain in the latter part of the day from riding a few days in damp shoes and socks. As the weather in the south has already been significantly warmer, Lachlan was able to sleep under the stars, allowing him to “air everything out.”

Today is a rest day for our Tour de France teams. They are in the comfort of their hotel rooms in the Alps after a short recovery ride around Tignes. The rest day will be much needed for the riders’ spirits after what was a hard week of racing, but it will also be good for Lachlan’s lead, as he will continue to expand on the 600-kilometer gap he’s already amassed over the peloton. Stay tuned for more updates…

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