Only now is it sinking in.
“It didn’t really hit me until a few days later,” Amy says. “When I was riding around Paris, I was just relieved to have made it in one piece. It was busy, overwhelming, and kind of surreal after being on my own for so long. It was like, ‘Oh, I’m done now.’ But then a few days later, I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve actually done it.’”
In our previous interview, you can read more about what inspired her to do this challenge and how she managed to get ready for it after only 4 years of cycling.
Not quitting, no matter what
Amy never doubted she would finish. “Quitting wasn’t an option. I went into it with that mindset,” she says. “Even when I had a rough patch, like going up Tourmalet, I never really thought I wouldn’t make it.”
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That day on Tourmalet was a low point, the biggest climb she’d ever tackled, with three more mountains still to come. “It looked so far away, and I just started getting negative,” she says. “But I always remind myself, it’s not as hard as what I went through when I struggled with mental health. That helps me snap out of it. The pain is a privilege. I’m lucky I get to do this.”
The hardest part wasn’t the climbs
When preparing for her Tour challenge, Amy had expected the heat or injury to be her biggest enemies. The heat was brutal with 38°C on some days. “I’ve never sweated so much in my life,” she said. But it turned out to be the flat northern stages that took the greatest mental toll.
“Those long, flat days in the north of France, with just endless fields, they were so boring,” Amy says. “There was nothing to look at, and the day just dragged on. Mentally, that was harder than the mountains. In the mountains, you had a goal: Get to the top. It broke the day up. But in the north, especially during the transfers, there was nothing. Just miles and miles of empty roads, no fans, no decorations, no atmosphere. That was the hardest part.”
To get through the monotony, she broke each day into chunks and played games in her head. “I’d do four hours, meet Kyle, four more hours, meet Kyle again. I’d count donkeys or think about the next snack. When I was really struggling, I’d remind myself that I used to do three hours on the turbo before work. If I could do that, I could do this.”
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A few miles together
Though she rode most of the challenge solo, a handful of supporters joined her along the way. Her only rule? They could ride behind or next to her, but never in front. She didn’t want to draft. Amy was determined to complete every kilometre fully under her own power.
“There was a lovely woman in the Pyrenees who rode 50 miles with me one morning. That was really nice. Most people who joined me just did two or three miles, but it still meant a lot,” Amy says.
On some climbs, the roles unexpectedly reversed. “I felt bad a few times because people came out to ride with me up the mountains, and I ended up dropping them. But they all said the same thing: Just go. So I did.”
She also got occasional roadside support. “One couple came out and brought us homemade curry and snacks at the end of a stage. That was amazing. It made me feel really supported even though I was doing it solo.”
7,000 calories a day
Fuelling for nearly a month of back-to-back 200 km days was a full-time job. Amy aimed for about 7,000 calories a day, with real food at the core.
“We had a solid routine. Porridge in the morning, a milkshake at the first stop, pasta or rice for lunch, snacks every hour on the bike, and a proper meal in the evening. I used mostly food I know and like, homemade flapjacks, dates, bananas, and Beta bars. When I had ulcers in my mouth the first week, I switched to softer, liquid food for a bit.”
And yes, there were almond croissants. “I’d never had one before France, and it was amazing. I took the risk, and, luckily, it didn’t upset my stomach. Totally worth it.”
Life on the road as a team of two
Amy’s husband Kyle acted as her support crew, swannie, and chef. Their partnership was tested, but it made them stronger.
“We had little bickers like any couple, but we got better at it. In the first few days, we had more tension, but we learned quickly what not to say to each other when tired. And we always laughed about it after.”
Only one major mistake stands out. “He forgot the pasta one night, and I was starving. But that was it. Otherwise, he did great. We had a little motto: if you can’t do anything about it, don’t stress. That helped us stay grounded.”
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In the final week, Amy’s friend Laura joined them. “We worked great as a trio. She helped Kyle, kept things fun, and even dressed as a donkey at the top of La Planche des Belles Filles. It was brilliant.”
Riding for something bigger
Amy rode to raise money for the mental health charity Shout, and the support was overwhelming. “We raised over £91,000 with Gift Aid. The CEO of the charity even sent me a video message. That meant a lot. Knowing it would help people kept me going.”
She’s also been nominated for a JustGiving Award in the Mind over Miles category. You can vote for her here.
What’s next?
Amy isn’t done yet. “Kyle and I are planning something big for next year,” she says. “But it won’t be revealed until October.” Whatever it is, don’t expect her to quit halfway.
About Amy Hudson
Amy Hudson is a British endurance cyclist and mental health advocate who fell in love with cycling just four years ago. From overcoming personal struggles to taking on ultra-distance challenges, Amy now shares her passion through her YouTube channel and social media, inspiring others to chase big goals no matter where they started. Her recent accomplishments include riding the full route of the 2025 Tour de France, cycling from Italy to the UK in eight days, completing a 24-hour time trial, and riding the length of Britain from Land’s End to John o’Groats (1,400 km).
