Road to the Gods
Name: Road to the Gods
Start: Place Stanislas, Nancy, France
Finish: Mount Olympus Trailhead, Prionia, Greece
Length: 2405KM / 1494 miles
GPX: File
Description:
Unsupported:
Men:
Para:
Team:
Supported:
Men:
Women:
Team:
Para:
Name: Road to the Gods
Start: Place Stanislas, Nancy, France
Finish: Mount Olympus Trailhead, Prionia, Greece
Length: 2405KM / 1494 miles
GPX: File
Description:
- Terrain: mixed road / gravel (bikepacking optimized route).
- Countries crossed: France → (Allemagne, Autriche, Slovénie, Croatie, Serbie, Macedoine du Nord, Grèce).
Unsupported:
Men:
- Gaire Florent 05/29/2026 271: 37:07 (11 days, 7 hours, 37 minutes, and 7 seconds)
Para:
Team:
Supported:
Men:
Women:
Team:
Para:
Notes from the ride:
From Gaire Florent: I completed the route from Nancy, France, to Mount Olympus, Greece, entirely self-supported and without any external assistance. The attempt started on May 29, 2026, at 05:47 AM from Place Stanislas in Nancy, France. The finish was recorded on June 9, 2026, at 1:24 PM in Prionia, Greece, the trailhead and starting point for the ascent of Mount Olympus.
During the attempt, I crossed eight countries:
The total distance covered was 2,438.44 km, with 13,771 meters of cumulative elevation gain, averaging more than 220 km per day throughout the attempt.
Style of the Attempt
This ride was completed in a fully self-supported style.
No support vehicle, pacer, organized resupply, or logistical assistance was used at any point during the attempt.
All aspects of the journey, including navigation, food, accommodation, equipment maintenance, route management, and problem-solving, were handled independently.
Route Verification
All daily stages are available on my Strava account and document the progress of the attempt day by day.
To verify my passage through key locations, I took photographs at several major cities and checkpoints along the route. These photographs serve as supporting evidence of my presence on the course.
The complete GPX track is available as a single file hosted on my son’s Strava account. This arrangement was necessary because Strava considers the complete route file and the daily stage uploads to be duplicate activities when uploaded to the same account.
Route Deviations
The route closely followed the original GPX track, with only minor deviations caused by circumstances beyond my control.
In Austria, several severe thunderstorms resulted in road closures and fallen trees blocking parts of the route. For safety reasons, I was forced to use nearby parallel roads for a few kilometers before rejoining the planned course.
These adjustments represent the only significant deviations from the original route.
Conditions Encountered
Weather and road conditions were sometimes particularly challenging.
In Austria, I encountered several major thunderstorms, blocked roads, and fallen trees.
The crossing of Croatia was marked by heavy rainfall and multiple flooded sections of roadway that made progress more difficult.
In Serbia, I frequently encountered stray dogs, requiring constant vigilance. I also experienced traffic situations involving motorists who appeared unaccustomed to sharing the road with long-distance cyclists.
Despite these challenges, no outside assistance was used, and the attempt continued in accordance with the spirit of a self-supported FKT.
Safety and Rest
For safety reasons, I limited night riding whenever possible.
Rest and sleep periods were taken in secure locations selected throughout the journey. This approach helped maintain an appropriate level of safety and awareness during the attempt.
Evidence Provided
This attempt connected Place Stanislas in Nancy, France, to Prionia, Greece, at the foot of Mount Olympus, entirely under self-supported conditions and across eight European countries.
Despite severe weather, temporary road closures, flooding, encounters with stray dogs, and the challenges of long-distance road cycling across multiple countries, the route was successfully completed while respecting the principles of a self-supported FKT attempt.
From Gaire Florent: I completed the route from Nancy, France, to Mount Olympus, Greece, entirely self-supported and without any external assistance. The attempt started on May 29, 2026, at 05:47 AM from Place Stanislas in Nancy, France. The finish was recorded on June 9, 2026, at 1:24 PM in Prionia, Greece, the trailhead and starting point for the ascent of Mount Olympus.
During the attempt, I crossed eight countries:
- France
- Germany
- Austria
- Slovenia
- Croatia
- Serbia
- North Macedonia
- Greece
The total distance covered was 2,438.44 km, with 13,771 meters of cumulative elevation gain, averaging more than 220 km per day throughout the attempt.
Style of the Attempt
This ride was completed in a fully self-supported style.
No support vehicle, pacer, organized resupply, or logistical assistance was used at any point during the attempt.
All aspects of the journey, including navigation, food, accommodation, equipment maintenance, route management, and problem-solving, were handled independently.
Route Verification
All daily stages are available on my Strava account and document the progress of the attempt day by day.
To verify my passage through key locations, I took photographs at several major cities and checkpoints along the route. These photographs serve as supporting evidence of my presence on the course.
The complete GPX track is available as a single file hosted on my son’s Strava account. This arrangement was necessary because Strava considers the complete route file and the daily stage uploads to be duplicate activities when uploaded to the same account.
Route Deviations
The route closely followed the original GPX track, with only minor deviations caused by circumstances beyond my control.
In Austria, several severe thunderstorms resulted in road closures and fallen trees blocking parts of the route. For safety reasons, I was forced to use nearby parallel roads for a few kilometers before rejoining the planned course.
These adjustments represent the only significant deviations from the original route.
Conditions Encountered
Weather and road conditions were sometimes particularly challenging.
In Austria, I encountered several major thunderstorms, blocked roads, and fallen trees.
The crossing of Croatia was marked by heavy rainfall and multiple flooded sections of roadway that made progress more difficult.
In Serbia, I frequently encountered stray dogs, requiring constant vigilance. I also experienced traffic situations involving motorists who appeared unaccustomed to sharing the road with long-distance cyclists.
Despite these challenges, no outside assistance was used, and the attempt continued in accordance with the spirit of a self-supported FKT.
Safety and Rest
For safety reasons, I limited night riding whenever possible.
Rest and sleep periods were taken in secure locations selected throughout the journey. This approach helped maintain an appropriate level of safety and awareness during the attempt.
Evidence Provided
- Complete GPX track of the attempt.
- Daily Strava activities.
- Photographs taken at major cities and checkpoints along the route.
- Official start and finish times.
- Total distance: 2,438.44 km.
- Total elevation gain: 13,771 m.
- Total elapsed time: 271 h 37 min 7 s.
This attempt connected Place Stanislas in Nancy, France, to Prionia, Greece, at the foot of Mount Olympus, entirely under self-supported conditions and across eight European countries.
Despite severe weather, temporary road closures, flooding, encounters with stray dogs, and the challenges of long-distance road cycling across multiple countries, the route was successfully completed while respecting the principles of a self-supported FKT attempt.