Cyclist set for marathon journey

Edward Genochio says he wants to see how other societies live

A Devon cyclist is preparing to leave the county to start an extraordinary bike ride.

Edward Genochio, from Exeter, is about to pedal off on a solo 12,000-mile cycle from Exeter to Shanghai.

He has taken a year to prepare for his trip to Shanghai which will take him eight months to complete.

If he succeeds he will become the first person to cycle solo from England to China via a new route across the Gobi desert.

Click here for a map of the route

Mr Genochio says his main motivation for the expedition is to see how other societies "live and think".

"Travelling at ground level, as it were, on my bicycle, is my way of doing that," he said.

His unsupported expedition will see him cross the Alps, the Urals, the great plains of Siberia, the Gobi Desert, the Great Wall of China and the Yangtze River before he arrives at his final destination in October or November this year.

A number of local businesses have equipped him with the essentials for his trip, including an ultrasonic dog deterrent to ensure bicycle-chasing canines do not delay his journey.

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