{"id":198729,"date":"2025-06-10T08:48:52","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T08:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=198729"},"modified":"2025-06-12T11:34:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T11:34:48","slug":"how-cycling-changed-amy-hudsons-life-and-led-to-the-tour-de-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/06\/10\/how-cycling-changed-amy-hudsons-life-and-led-to-the-tour-de-france\/","title":{"rendered":"Find Your Tour: How Cycling Changed Amy Hudson\u2019s Life \u2014 and Led to the Tour de France"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most cyclists dream of watching the Tour de France from the roadside. Amy Hudson dreams of riding it \u2014 every stage, every transfer \u2014 as an amateur cyclist with no pro contract, no racing background, and only a few years of cycling experience behind her. This summer, she plans to tackle over 6,300 kilometres across France, starting a week before the professionals, and finishing just a day ahead.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For Amy, this isn\u2019t about fame or finishing first. It\u2019s about pushing personal limits, showing that ordinary people can take on extraordinary challenges, and raising awareness about mental health.<\/p>\n

She started cycling at 25<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Growing up in England, Amy was active, but not on two wheels.<\/p>\n

“I learned to ride my bike when I was five, like normal, but I didn’t really ride much,” she says. “We used to go on a family bike ride maybe once a month after school, but I was more into swimming and dance classes.”<\/p>\n

Later, running took over, but it wasn\u2019t a healthy relationship. “I did a lot of running in my teenage years,” she says. “But with running, it was always like a way to burn calories. It wasn\u2019t healthy.”<\/p>\n

Cycling didn\u2019t come into the picture until she was 25, and it came at a difficult moment.<\/p>\n

A bike that changed everything<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Amy was working as a mental health nurse when she experienced a breakdown and had to leave her job.<\/p>\n

“I just was really unwell,” she says. “And then my husband, Kyle, randomly just bought me a bike. I never asked for it, but he knew I loved being outside. He thought if I got a bike, I could go out for longer and it might help me get more happy again.”<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a race bike, just a basic model from Halfords. She started riding short distances with her dad, who had always enjoyed biking but not in any competitive sense.<\/p>\n

“My dad\u2019s the kind of person who rides in a T-shirt and shorts, no cleats or anything, just normal shoes. But he rides hilly rides,” she laughs. “My first ride with him was like 40 miles with loads of hills in the Peak District.”<\/p>\n

Those rides, casual, quiet, and free of expectations, were exactly what Amy needed. Unlike swimming<\/a> or running, cycling wasn\u2019t tied to competition or pressure.<\/p>\n

“Cycling didn\u2019t have pressure attached to it,” she says. “Swimming felt pressured, because you were competing. Running was unhealthy for me, it was about burning calories. But with cycling, it was just me and my dad. It wasn\u2019t about speed or distance. It was just a day out.”<\/p>\n

Falling in love with distance<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Not long after she started, Amy found herself drawn to longer and longer rides.<\/p>\n

“After about six months, my dad said he always wanted to do the North Coast 500, the 500-mile loop in Scotland,” she says. “We did that together, and it felt like my mind cleared. I just really fell in love with it there.”<\/p>\n

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Zobrazit p\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek na Instagramu<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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P\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek sd\u00edlen\u00fd Amy Hudson (@amy.cycling.adventures)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n