UPDATED April 20, 2026 BY The TDA Team IN Road of Empires no comments Cycling the Mediterranean In Europe and North Africa Andaluca, Algeria, Tunisia & SicilyFor many years TDA Global Cycling had been considering a cycling tour that would link Europe and North Africa. With our Operations Manager, Miles, coming up with the inspiration for the route and the name, we decided to forge ahead, and in 2025 we ran the first edition of The Road of Empires. This brilliant trans-Mediterranean route allows cyclists to visit southern Spain and Sicily, as well as Algeria and Tunisia, while crossing the Mediterranean by ferry, twice. It was, and remains today, a daunting logistical challenge for our operations team. It is, however, well worth the extra effort, creating a one of a kind cycling adventure that explores places few get to visit by bike.The first edition of the tour gave our cycling participants a chance to better understand the intertwined history of the region, including the empires that moved across those lands, and to see just how many similarities and contrasts exist culturally on both continents along the Mediterranean to this very day.We sat down with our Operations Manager to discuss how he came up with the concept and what the riders can expect to experience along the way during the next Road of Empires adventure scheduled to start in Seville in March, 2027.Exploring More of Spain and ItalyIn Spain and Sicily, where TDA has already run tours, it was not difficult to research additional options. For Spain, we wanted to include the southern Spanish cities of Seville, Granada and Cordoba with their Roman and Moorish history and grand architecture. In terms of cycling in Spain, we knew how incredible the roads are in Andalusia and how beautiful the Sierra Nevadas would be.For Sicily, it was similar, in that we wanted to cycle new regions of the island, areas that we do not currently cover on our Viva Italia tour. So we included a visit to the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento and the chance to visit the ancient mosaics nearby in Piazza Armerina. Finishing in Syracuse, once the capital of the Byzantine Empire, was a fitting way to conclude the trip. Algeria and Tunisia & North AfricaAlgeria and Tunisia were much more difficult to research. In Tunisia, there have been some local cycling tours, as well as more independent cyclists crossing the country, but in Algeria there had been no commercial cycling tours in recent decades and very little information from independent cyclists. This was a big part of the draw for us. We love to open new countries to cycle tourism and experience new lands and cultures ourselves.We spent months researching roads with satellite viewing, searching out local contacts in both countries to communicate with, reading up on the historical and cultural highlights to visit, and planning a scouting trip to go and check all the details. This is where we were able to confirm the areas suitability for cycling, in terms of safety, logistics, accommodations, government approvals, ancient ruins to visit and, most importantly, the potential for fun! In North Africa, what will be remembered by the riders, without a doubt, is the hospitality and curiosity of the local people along the way. They will also be amazed by the lush, green environment of the North African coast, the abundance of Roman ruins, the cultural influence of previous French colonialism, and the incredible cycling. Many of our participants on the first Road of Empires noted that some of the days were the nicest routes theyd ever ridden.Anyone who loves exploring new lands, cycling along coastlines and through mountains, experiencing and learning about different cultures, who has dreamed of being an archeologist (or at least are ready to be amazed by the ancient ruins along the route), and anyone who is up for an adventure, is going to love this cycling adventure!RELATEDTOURRoad of Empires Pedal through history on the Road of Empires Cycling Adventure. Spin through Spain, Algeria, Tunisia & Sicily and learn about the Moors, Romans... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "Cycling the Mediterranean In Europe and North Africa Andaluca, Algeria, Tunisia & Sicily" Cancel reply

I realize this is a cycling blog, but you may be interested to learn there was a motorcycle show out in California this past weekend:I mean Im definitely not, but maybe you are.As for me, Im not happy about this weather:Yes, its ideal for cycling, yes the colors are delightful, yes there are flowers and other crap like that sprouting up everywhere you look. But while the short-sighted and shallow-brained may mistake this for beauty, I see only a fleetingly verdant burst of ostentation before the inevitable death:First it all wilts beneath the scorching sun, then all the leaves dry up and fall off the trees, and before you know it youre back in a frozen hellscape:I mean why even bother? What, am I supposed to rejoice in the season of rebirth? How can I when birth is merely the prelude to death? We cant even count on spring coming again next year since were officially 389 days past the date on which the world was supposed to end:Just kidding!I mean yeah, Ive got it in the back of my mind how fleeting it all is, but even so Im enjoying myself tremendously after the winter we had:Though one is never free from the specter of death, especially deep in the forests of upstate New York City, which are haunted by the ghosts of Citi Bikes:See?Heres a tableau that suggests the rider attempted to hit that jump, didnt make it, and then crawled off into the woods, never to be seen or heard from again:Its estimated that 30-40 people a year meet their fate in exactly the same way, but Lyft refuse to acknowledge it:Ive also been enjoying and reflecting upon the virtues of the 30mm tire size:As I understand it, this is more or less the standard road bike tire size now, and many people will look at this and say, Whats the point of putting a road bike tire on a cyclocross bike?But keep in mind that a 30mm tire is only slightly narrower than a cyclocross racing tire, and that before gravel was invented would have been considered more than adequate for all-around mixed-terrain cycling. In fact, it still is more than adequate, but you wouldnt know that if you listened to the bike reviewers:Yes, high-volume tires are a good thing, and obviously 30mm tires will only take you so far offroad, but if youre old enough to be cynical about spring youre also old enough to be really annoyed at how quickly these people went from pushing bikes with no clearance to telling you youre an idiot if your drop-bar bike cant at least clear a fat bike tireoh, sorry, forget about all that, theres a new wheel size now and the bike you bought last week is now obsolete:But yes, I so find 30mm tires sufficient for rides that include gravel detours:Though its important to bear in mind that as a contrarian Im also highly motivated by spite.

The Japanese Team UKYO has a base in Italy and is one of the best teams when it comes to developing young Italian talent. After winning a stage at the Settimana Internazionaler Coppi e Bartal, Tommaso Dati has taken the victory on stage 1 of the Tour of the Alps, beating Tom Pidcock in the final spr...

On the weekend of the 26th of April the riders will be in the roads of western Belgium for the fourth monument of the year, which is also the last of the Ardennes and the spring classics entirely. It is Lige-Bastogne-Lige, a race designed for the puncheurs and climbers to fight for a highly presti...

Reporting from the labyrinth that is the 2026 Sea Otter Classic, Miles is back with his third roundup of interesting new bikes and other finds from the expo. Part three showcases the new Niner RLT 9 Steel, electrochromic sunglasses, bikes from REEB and BTCHN', a new rack-top bag from Restrap, and loads more. Find it all here...The post 2026 Sea Otter Finds (Part 3): New Niner, Zero Drag Freehub, Two BTCHNs, Restrap Rack Bag, and More appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG return to the Vuelta a Asturias this week with a very different look, but the same objective, as they target a third consecutive overall victory in the Spanish stage race. After back to back wins through Isaac del Toro in 2024 and Marc Soler in 2025, the Emirati squad arrive wi...

Nikita Kirilsev secured second in the mens keirin after running the final 200m in cleats and carrying his bike

Supermarket Aldi is stocking discounted Tru-Tension bicycle cleaning products, and they cut through the grime as well as any alternatives Ive tested. The Aldi line-up consists of a general bike cleaner, brake cleaner, chain cleaner and an all-weather lube. The items are part of the German supermarkets Specialbuys promotion, and can be found in the middle aisle of the store alongside the usual soft goods, power tools and gardening essentials. All the products are 4.99 each, so I decided to buy some to see how they perform and whether its worth getting any yourself. I left the lube at the checkout, though, when I remembered how much I already own. Read more: Best bike cleaning products: what to buy and how to keep your bike clean Tru-Tension Bike Cleaner Either it's so good people are pinching it, or there's a QC issue. Nick Clark / Our Media Im guilty of not cleaning my bikes as often as I should, so when I came to clean my Merida One-Sixty, there was quite a bit of stubbornly attached mud that probably dated back to 2025. Despite this, after a quick soak and application of the Tru-Tension Bike Cleaner, it started moving, revealing a brightness to the paint that Id forgotten. The cleaner itself is orange in colour and is easily applied via the nozzle on top. Its not the suddiest of cleaners, with the liquid seeming to settle in to dislodge dirt rather than lathering up like dish soap. The pump on the bottle I bought stopped working. Nick Clark / Our Media I had some issues with the nozzle, with the pump for the bottle sticking, so I poured it into another spray bottle to save the juice. If you didnt have one of these handy, it would be pretty annoying and in the shop, there appeared to be quite a disparity between how full the bottles were. Besides this, the cleaner itself worked really well, and youd likely get 20 washes or more from a bottle. Tru-Tension Chain & Gear Cleaner While it doesn't foam, the Chain & Gear Cleaner does a good job of cleaning up drivetrains. Nick Clark / Our Media My preferred product for cleaning my chain is Fenwicks Foaming Chain Cleaner, and anyone who has used it will understand the fun the foam brings to the job. Unfortunately, this stuff goes on as a fine spray, but it leaves a finish that Id recognise from Fenwicks. The nozzle is easy to direct, and with a little loving from a brush, the cassette, chain and chainring came up sparkling. You get a good portion from the 400ml can, and with how sparingly I use chain degreasers, Id expect this to last me at least six months. There's not much else to say here it works as youd expect. Tru-Tension Brake Cleaner The Brake Cleaner works really well and is easy to use. Nick Clark / Our Media I dont tend to use brake cleaner often, but my bike had developed a little squeal from the front brakes, so I decided to give it a blast. It comes in the same type of container as the Chain & Gear Cleaner, and it's easy to be precise when spraying it, enabling you to avoid delicate parts of your bike. After letting it air-dry, I took the bike up the road and slammed on the front brake, and to its credit, it had evicted the pigsty from my front caliper. You can tell it's half-decent stuff by the smell and weird feeling your finger tips get after touching it. Whats worth buying? These two are definitely worth picking up for the combined 9.98. Nick Clark / Our Media Having tested the three cleaning products, Id probably get more of the Brake Cleaner and Chain & Gear Cleaner. These products work just as well as other, more expensive brands, just without the flair. While the Bike Cleaner worked well, the letdown of the bottle is probably enough for me to avoid it next time. I have so much lube at home already. Nick Clark / Our Media

A controlled and calculated victory at the Amstel Gold Race has prompted fresh analysis of Remco Evenepoel, with one leading voice pointing to a more measured and composed approach from the Belgian in a decisive finale against Mattias Skjelmose. Evenepoels win came at the end of a tactical race tha...