84-year-old David’s epic 1,000km cycle ride for local stroke-affected people

Cycling almost 1,000km over nine days from the Swiss Alps to the Mediterranean would be a tough challenge for most people, but David Exell, from Wrington, North Somerset, has just clocked up that daunting distance at the age of 84.

Along the way, he has raised close to £15,000 for the charity for whom he acts as treasurer – Bristol After Stroke, which supports over 1,400 local people on their stroke recovery journeys.

David, a keen cyclist, is no stranger to undertaking long-distance challenges: he has taken part in the legendary Marathon de Sables on three occasions – at one time holding the record for the oldest-ever finisher. In 2023, he cycled the famous Land’s End/John o’Groats route.

The journey also proved an intergenerational occasion: he was accompanied by his 19-year-old granddaughter Lily and her 20-year-old boyfriend Douggie, who took it in turns to cycle with him while the other drove their support vehicle in between campsites.

“The journey went very well,” says David, “although it wasn’t without its ‘moments’:  the weather was mostly reasonable, and after a horrific zigzag drop besides the opening waterfall of the nascent Rhone below its eponymous glacier, the route was mostly fairly gentle… except when the river decided to plunge through the odd canyon.

“That meant climbing to the top of the cliff and, on occasion, hurtling down at 30mph beside long distance lorries. The other frequent hazard was working out the way when road signs were missing.

“Fortunately, most of the route was on nominated cycle tracks and minor roads!”
The three managed to arrive at Plage Napoléon, in between Montpelier and Marseilles, at the same time. 

“The crew were magnificent,” concludes David, “and I discovered the main difference created by our 64-year-gap: every query was dealt with by an immediate reference by them to a mobile phone to find the way or book up a restaurant or campsite!”