Goal

With a fairly major hamstring operation impending (thank you running!) and a six-week layoff on crutches and then rehab, the desire for a decent pre-op tour was substantial. But where to go? Not really keen on the US at the mo, Canada an option, Taiwan too but still too hot there.. What about Europe North to South to go with the West to East trip from last year?

How did it go?

[TODO: Trip summary - highlights, lowlights, weather, bike condition, punctures, fitness, standout days (Swiss passes? Po valley headwinds? Adriatic coast?), final totals.]

Europe N-S 2026 tour map — Figure 1. 18 segments to get from Amsterdam Schiphol to Napoli.

Europe North-South tour map elevation — Figure 2. Elevation to get from Schiphol to Naples. Note the 2x Alps passes in the middle!

Here’s the interactive version generated by the Python code - click on the stars to see day-by-day stats..

18-Day Ride Summary

Day	Distance_km	Time_h	AvgSpeed_kmh	Calories	Elevation_m
1	166.006	6.77226	24.5126	3776	246
2	120.639	4.90123	24.614	2718	497
3	106.037	4.36282	24.3048	2432	806
4	118.764	4.63727	25.6107	2625	728
5	121.634	4.63836	26.2234	2837	641
6	148.828	5.97992	24.8879	3496	824
7	106.162	4.31856	24.5827	2309	795
8	139.965	5.89916	23.7262	3124	564
9	105.926	5.79676	18.2734	3541	2236
10	114.523	4.84876	23.619	2240	1009
11	129.695	4.40907	29.4155	2848	229
12	154.011	5.85614	26.2992	3146	389
13	100.603	4.1273	24.375	2027	107
14	131.743	5.56928	23.6553	2376	300
15	100.226	3.98693	25.1387	1849	457
16	142.172	5.74131	24.763	2956	415
17	121.033	5.83895	20.7285	3174	1687
18	122.132	4.80935	25.3947	2082	506

49,556 calories burned total - and by god I needed them!

Day 1: Schiphol - Eindhoven

Day 1 Strava link

Day 1 involves travelling and cycling. Civilised start in Cardiff circa 8 am, all the drama was yesterday trying to pack the bike into the box from Prague last year with lots of sweating and swearing. Drop the box off at over-size luggage with no dramas. KLM run a small aircraft from CWL to AMS so I was slightly worried but no-one even mentioned it. Got a cup of coffee and a tasteless sandwich on the plane! I thought such luxuries on short-haul were a thing of the past.. Now comes the hard part. First change into cycling clothes in the mens toilets at Schiphol, a task just as grim as it sounds. Managed to pick a cubicle beside a guy with diarrhoea too which lended additional tension. Next acquire the bike box from the belt undamaged - done! Finally build the bike back up in the luggage hall, ignoring the odd gaze. Time to get going! A quick pic under the Schiphol sign, wonder why my handlebars are turning but the wheel is not - tighten the headset and we’re off! Try to follow a car under a barrier and my 2,250 km cycling trip almost starts at km 1 with a comical accident.

Dry but pretty windy (and by windy I mean head-windy). I’m tired - travelling and bike-assembling takes it out of you. Only 130km today. Get to a ferry river crossing which is CLOSED!!! Water levels too low apparently. Back-track 20 km and 10 km later back on track for Eindhoven. Get in quite late (after 10 pm) to my Eindhoven B&B - (the same one I stayed at last year) pretty tired. Shower and then to bed.

Day 2: Eindhoven - Stolberg

Day 2 Strava link

Today has me dipping in and out of Netherlands and Belgium, finally ending up in Germany. Stop at Maaseik for lunch including their local delicacy - knapkoek. My destination today should really be Aachen but I couldn’t find a hotel there at all - must be something on. Instead I’m out in the sticks in Zweifall, rhymes with the Adele song.. Flattish today, rain threatens but never delivers - until I’m safely in the hotel. Then the heavens open with a proper summer thunderstorm. My hotel has a restaurant and I have the meat platter and a stein of beer - danke shun!