On November 22, the France team entered the fray against Australia. The Blues world champions are supported by just over 3,000 French people. And among the supporters, two of them came from France, by bike!
With our special envoy in Doha, Antoine Grognet
Four years of waiting for the Bluesthree months of effort for Gabriel and Mehdi before this Marseillaise and this French success at the Al Janoub stadium: It was totally worth it, Gabriel enthuses. Frankly, crazy match for the first of the France team! 4-1 could not have been better, a magnificent entry into competition. So if the Blues want to go to the final, we will accompany them with pleasure ! »
Leaving the Stade de France on August 21, the two friends arrived in Doha on November 17, after 63 stages and 7,300 kilometers. A challenge between friends, a responsible approach and also a little ecological. ” Of course, traveling by bicycle is not insignificant, explains Gabriel. But for us, it’s above all a way of life that we tried to share as much as possible with the people we met and who followed us on the networks. The idea was to show that in 2022 we can travel, even if it’s not necessarily for three months, but at least a weekend. Obviously there is an ecological message behind it. It’s not the main thing, but it’s not trivial either. »
” There was a little Forrest Gump side »
Something to offer great discoveries too. Take them across Europe to Turkey, reach Israel by boat before heading to Doha through Jordan and Saudi Arabia. With, in passing, surprising moments shared on social networks. ” We left with a tent each, says Mehdi. In Europe, we favored camping, and then we started to be hosted by locals. In the Muslim countries that we crossed, we encountered an absolutely formidable solidarity. It started in Turkey and then Saudi Arabia, we slept a lot with locals in those countries. »
An adventure started as a couple and completed as a group, with cyclists who came to welcome them on arrival in Qatar. ” There was a little Forrest Gump side, laughs Gabriel. We arrived with a good twenty French and Qatari cyclists who accompanied us on the last stage. Here, in Doha, we were eagerly awaited by the French community. It felt good to feel that support. We didn’t come looking for that, but it’s still very pleasant. »
The two friends will stay for the duration of the competition before returning to France, but this time, not by bike.
► To listen also: World Cup: let’s go for the France team!