From Italy to New Zealand by bike

How to challenge yourself up to your limits: 25,000 kilometers by bike.

Luca Modesto, a 25-year-old guy from Montebelluna, Treviso (Italy), is planning a trip from his hometown to New Zealand... by bike!

Driven by his limitless adventurous spirit and passion for outdoor activities which ended up in a degree in Sports, Luca will set off around March/April 2015. His journey will be 25,000-km long and include Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tagikistan, China, then India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, and finally New Zealand. Luca aims at cycling for about 100 kms a day and completing the whole itinerary within 52 weeks. Luca believes he will greatly wide up his horizons during his journey and will later take home anything he learns on the road as a resource for his country and generation. He's now collecting all the necessary equipment and looking for sponsors as well, needless to say he needs money for such a long journey! However, his own is a non-profit project as he would like to give to charity whatever he manages to save.

As soon as we learnt about Luca's upcoming adventure we immediately thought to support him. HostelsClub could not but fit perfectly with his project: a comfy bed and a hot shower is exactly what he may need after exhousting cycling.

Luca felt like testing his orientation skills on a much shorter journey a couple of weeks ago: from his hometown to Venice, just to meet us and answer our questions. Here's his interview:

Of all world, why on earth New Zealand?

Since September 2013 I have been thinking about moving to New Zealand, a fantastic land to explore. I simply fell in love with it when I saw pictures of its natural parks and marine reserves. Something else I love about New Zealand is its distance from Italy. I just wanted to challenge myself up to the extreme, I think cycling for 25,000 kilometers is kind of a crazy challenge, isn't it?

Which do you think may be the hardest stretch of your loooooong way?

On this trip nothing's gonna be easy, I don't want to think about the hardest or easiest stretch yet. From the first day up to the last it will always be a matter of surviving! Anyways, I'm a little bit worried about Iran and Nepal (with Himalayas).

Which is a stretch you cannot wait to ride through?

Tibet: it seems to be rather hard to enter this Asian region as a tourist, I hope I'll manage to cross it. I'm also looking forward to reaching Serbia, Romania and Australia. In these countries I've got supporters who will give a helping hand.

What kind of reactions do people, friends and relatives have when you tell them about your project?

People congratulate with me, they always say to fight for my dreams and suggest I never give up. Their support makes me stronger and motivates me a lot. The typical exclamation is something like: "you crazy guy, respect!”. As soon as I told my parents about my upcoming adventure they said: "Don't you have anything else to think about in your life? Ok Cape North but New Zeland..."

Where do you think you're gonna sleep and eat?

A great part of my trip will be on the road so I guess I'll sleep in a tent. If someone's gonna give me hospitality I will happily accept of course, I trust in people's kindness. And then there's HostelsClub!

Why by bike?

I think people understimate the bike nowadays. A bike follows your own rythm: it moves forward and stops whenever you want. It simply allows you to experience life at a human speed, to appreciate little things that you normally forget about in a society that moves so fast. Think about how many colors, smells, landscapes, cultures, villages, people I will be discovering while riding. It couldn't be possible but by bike.
I also like the idea that the fuel for my trip will solely come from my body's energies.

What could be the worst thing that could happen to you on the road? We'll ward off any threats of course.

This is a really good question. I'm ready to face any kind of difficulties, the important thing is to always keep calm and resolute. Only clear headed in any possible situation I will reach my destination.

On his Facebook page On the road from Italy to New Zealand by bike and his upcoming blog, Life in 25,000 km, he will update his fans and supporters with photos and videos from the road. And of course HostelsClub will be following him!

Feel free to contact Luca at his e-mail address for any support you could give him.

We all wish you good luck, Luca!