Tour de France | Youtuber Amy Hudson: Influencer on Wheels

Those are numbers that make your thighs cramp just reading them. Tadej Pogačar and co. have to cycle 3,338 kilometers in this year's Tour de France . For Amy Hudson, the total length of the Tour de France means something different: halfway through. The 28-year-old Englishwoman is also currently riding all the Tour stages. But unlike the pros, Hudson is also cycling all the transfer legs in between. The crazy numbers: 6,559 kilometers in 30 days, an average of 218 kilometers per day, two rest days, and over 71,000 meters of elevation gain.

What sounds like a mix of self-flagellation and a near-death experience to most people is a life-affirming project for the nurse from Derby. "There was a time when I didn't want to be here anymore, and my bike is one of the main reasons I'm still here," Hudson wrote on Instagram at the start of her adventure. In 2021, she experienced a mental breakdown during the pandemic . The first thing that really helped was the bike she received as a gift from her husband, Kyle.

Since then, Hudson has been cycling – and filming herself for her successful YouTube channel "Amy Cycling Adventures," with which she promotes mental health and raises money for a British helpline. In return, you can currently watch Hudson every day as she hops onto her bike in the early morning darkness, occasionally bursts into tears before the Tourmalet, curses on the climbs, and happily eats croissants after her stages. She plans to be in Paris on Saturday – one day before the "small" Tour of the pros.