Travelling to watch their team play at the World Cup took a little longer than usual for two French fans. Mehdi Balamissa and Gabriel Martin decided the best way to travel from France to Qatar was on two wheels. The friends spent three months travelling 7,000 kilometers by bicycle to reach Qatar 2022 and watch their beloved France defend its title.
“It was a crazy idea, but we’re the kind of people that have big ideas and don’t want to have any regrets,” Balamissa said, as both spoke to CNN Sport a day after arriving in the country. “So, since we are both self-employed, we decided to block off three months of our time and come to Qatar.”
The pair started their mammoth (庞大的) journey at the Stade de France in Paris, home of the French national team, and finished at the stunning Lusail Stadium, the venue that would host the final at Qatar 2022. They would travel on average 115 kilometers per day, taking appropriate rest days when needed. They battled through the heat of the desert in Saudi Arabia as well as flooded woodland areas in Hungary as they made their winding way to Qatar, stopping off at campsites, lodges (乡间小舍) and hotels to sleep.
The idea came about after cycling from France to Italy to watch their country play in the UEFA Nations League last year and they wanted to test themselves with a much longer trip. They hoped their trip would promote the benefits of sustainable travel and said they planned to offer cycling workshops to children from disadvantaged backgrounds when they eventually arrived home.
The two cyclists encountered many problems along the way, including dozens of flat tires, but relied on their infectiously positive attitude to get them through. The pair laugh as they recall the time they had to travel 15 hours to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in order to find a bike repair shop before travelling 15 hours back to the exact point where they had stopped.
“We had many troubles, but we fixed them as we went,” Martin told CNN.
【小题1】Why did Balamissa and Martin go to Qatar?| A．To achieve their big ideas. | B．To set them apart from the other fans. |
| C．To close off three months for no regrets. | D．To watch their country defending its champion. |
| A．Their travelling plan. | B．Their severe challenges. |
| C．The schedule about their journey。 | D．The scenery along their journey. |
| A．To explore the secrets and laws of nature. | B．To raise people’s awareness of eco-tourism. |
| C．To benefit more from the cycling workshops. | D．To be involved in the UEFA Nations League. |
| A．Attitude is everything. | B．Life lies in sports. |
| C．Life needs a slow pace. | D．Man should be at one with nature. |
