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Find Your Tour: Amy Hudson’s 6,300 km Tour de France Challenge, Sparked by Lachlan Morton

By Jiri Kaloc

Amy Hudson isn’t trying to win the Tour de France. She’s not even trying to race it. Instead, she’s doing something arguably tougher: riding every single stage and transfer, over 6,300 kilometres in 30 days, as a regular non-pro cyclist.

What inspired her to take on such a massive challenge? A combination of her own journey in cycling and a nudge from one of the sport’s most unique riders, Lachlan Morton.

Inspired by a different kind of Tour

“I’m just calling it my own Tour de France challenge,” Amy says. “I’m not trying to compare myself to Lachlan because he’s an absolute legend. What he did was amazing.”

In 2021, professional cyclist Lachlan Morton captured the cycling world’s imagination by riding an alternative Tour. He completed every stage and the long, often gruelling transfers between them, unsupported and ahead of the pros. You can watch his Alt Tour story here if you want to see what a feat it was.

Amy watched the documentary about Morton’s ride, and the idea took hold. “I’ve been to see the Tour de France the last two years,” she says. “It’s just such an amazing atmosphere. I think because it’s the biggest cycling thing of the year, I thought well, why not be part of it?”

But she’s quick to clarify: her ride isn’t an attempt to replicate Morton’s. “Originally, I wanted to do it in the same time as the pros,” she says. “But this year’s Tour has some massive transfers, like one that’s 540 kilometres. I had to be realistic. I didn’t want to set myself up to fail.”

Instead, she’s allowing herself 30 days to complete the route, with two rest days built in. She’ll start a week before the professional peloton and plans to finish a day ahead of them.

 

Zobrazit příspěvek na Instagramu

 

Příspěvek sdílený Amy Hudson (@amy.cycling.adventures)

Riding for mental health

For Amy, this isn’t just about distance or personal achievement. There’s a deeper reason behind the challenge.

“I’m doing it to raise money for a mental health charity called Shout,” she says. “They’re a 24-hour text service for anyone who’s struggling. I chose them because it’s so much easier to send a text than pick up the phone when you’re really struggling.”

Mental health advocacy has been a constant in Amy’s journey, not just because of her own experiences but because she knows how powerful sport can be in recovery.

“There was a time when I didn’t want to be here anymore,” she says. “The bike is a big reason I still am.”

On her Instagram, she wrote:

“To raise money for a mental health charity and raise understanding that having a mental health illness doesn’t make you weak, it gives you a strong mind.”

Donations to the charity can be made here on Amy’s fundraiser page.

A woman’s place on the route

Another motivation for Amy: showing that women can take on the same challenges.

“I wanted to do the men’s route to sort of prove that a woman can do that distance as well,” she says. “And after I finish, I’m hoping to go and see the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, if I’ve still got the energy to cheer.”

For Amy, representation matters. Cycling’s biggest stage is often seen as the domain of elite male athletes. Amy’s ride quietly pushes back against that idea, proving that resilience and determination aren’t confined to any one group.

A chance encounter with Lachlan Morton

Amy’s inspiration even came full circle at an event in the UK.

“I saw Lachlan at Rouleur Live,” she says. “It was really brief, but I told him what I was planning. He looked at the route and zoomed in on a section. He was like, ‘I had really bad headwinds all down here. That’s going to be really hard.’”

She laughs. “I thought, oh great, thanks.”

This summer, Amy will set off on the biggest challenge of her life: 6,300 kilometres, 30 days, two wheels, and one goal. To prove to herself and others what’s possible.

“I’m completely scared, and I have big doubts about my ability to do it,” she says. “But I’m going to give it my 100% effort. If I don’t try, I’ll never know.”

About Amy Hudson

Amy Hudson is a British endurance cyclist and mental health advocate who fell in love with cycling just four years ago. Since then, she’s completed challenging ultra-distance events, including the North Coast 500, a 24-hour time trial, Paris-Brest-Paris (1,200 km), All Points North (1,000 km), and Land’s End to John o’Groats — a classic end-to-end ride covering nearly 1,400 km across the UK. From overcoming personal struggles to chasing the limits of endurance, Amy now shares her passion through her YouTube channel, Instagram, and Strava, inspiring others to set big goals — no matter where they started.

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