Route

My route is far from set in stone. The very nature of a long distance overland journey means there are bound to be route changes. I suppose I wouldn't want it any other way. Check out the map below for my rough route.

England (10 October)I am lucky enough to have some very supportive friends, a few of whom are joining me on the ride from Lord’s Cricket Ground to Dover. This is a beautiful ride that I have done before, so it will be a nice leisurely introduction before they head home and I jump on a ferry to Northern France.

Europe (October - December) I’ll pedal through the farmland of Northern France and Paris and on to Strasbourg. From there I’ll nip across Southern Germany to the Danube. I’ll follow the river (and the flat Danube cycle path!) as far as Belgrade, making diversions to visit some Slovenian cricketers and a school in Zagreb. It will be getting cold by now, so I’ll pedal on towards Istanbul, and the gateway to Asia.

Middle East / Africa (January – March) Cycling via Ankara to visit more cricketers, I’ll head straight through the middle of Turkey, taking on some pretty high mountains in the process. In south-east Turkey, I’ll be nearing Syria. I will cycle through Syria, passing Damascus, the capital and the oldest continually occupied city in the world. The deserts of Jordan will be next, before I reach Aqaba and the ferry to Nuweiba on the Sinai peninsula, and into Egypt!

My goal once I get to Egypt will be to cycle as far as Wadi Halfa, but I won’t let this part of the journey pass without seeing as much of the country’s famous monuments, notably the Pyramids. Pedalling south towards the Sahara, I’ll soon reach Wadi Halfa and the ferry that will take me into Sudan. Still following the Nile as far as Dongola, I can’t wait to meet the people of Sudan, who I’m told are some of the friendliest on the planet. As I keep riding south, the desert will give way to the Ethiopian plateau, and the Simien Mountains. Ethiopia and Kenya will complete the African leg of the journey, as I contemplate an ocean crossing to India!

Asia (April – September) I am very excited about the Indian leg, not least because of the Indians affinity with cricket. I expect my two months there during the 2010 IPL to be a highlight, and I am keen to play and watch as much cricket as my schedule allows. Across central and northern India I’ll pedal, hopefully into Nepal and Bangladesh, where I’ll contemplate the crossing of Myanmar. This is a difficult route, but possible. From Laos I will cycle south, through Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, from where I’ll catch a boat to Darwin in Australia.

Australia (October – November) From Darwin I’ll pedal towards the “red centre” on the Stuart Highway. I will turn off at Tennant Creek where I’ll cycle east towards Mount Isa and Longreach. Brisbane will be in my sights now, as I pedal my hardest to reach the city for the beginning of the Ashes at the end of November!