- Title: Forget Japan's bullet train, French rugby fans prefer cycling to stadiums
- Date: 7th October 2019
- Summary: KUSU, JAPAN (RECENT - OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) LEPAGE AND ROUX CYCLING PAST OITA, JAPAN (RECENT -OCTOBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) LEPAGE DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (French) 31 YEAR-OLD FRENCH RUGBY FAN, ALEXANDRE ROUX, SAYING: "We travel at the right speed, it allows us to see lots of things while taking the time to meet people, to stop when there's something to see, when we find interesting people we can stop and because of the bikes we attract their attention too and that makes it easy to meet them." BEPPU, JAPAN (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 28, 2019) (REUTERS) LEPAGE AND ROUX WATCHING GAME BETWEEN JAPAN AND IRELAND WHICH JAPAN SURPRISINGLY WON JAPAN SUPPORTERS WATCHING JAPAN/IRELAND RUGBY GAME VARIOUS OF JAPANESE FANS CHEERING/LEPAGE AND ROUX APPLAUDING KUSU, JAPAN (RECENT - OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) LEPAGE AND ROUX OUTSIDE RESTAURANT BEPPU, JAPAN (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 28, 2019) (REUTERS) SASHIMI ON PLATE ROUX SPEAKING TO CHILDREN CHILD WATCHING CHILDREN INTERACTING WITH ROUX KUSU, JAPAN (RECENT - OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LEPAGE AND ROUX TALKING TO BICYCLE REPAIR SHOP OWNER OITA, JAPAN (RECENT - OCTOBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) 31 YEAR-OLD FRENCH RUGBY FAN, ALEXANDRE ROUX, SAYING: "We had a puncture after five kilometres on our first day. We only had one spare inner tube that we had bought before leaving but since we haven't had a puncture and that's lucky because we're still looking for a spare inner tube but can't find one. So we used it once on the first day on kilometre 5, but we haven't had any problem since so all is going well, we've been lucky with the weather too."
- Embargoed: 21st October 2019 09:25
- Keywords: Rugby World Cup cycling cyclists Japan on bikes France New Zealand
- Location: ROUTE 28, KUSU, BEPPU AND OITA, KYUSHU, JAPAN
- City: ROUTE 28, KUSU, BEPPU AND OITA, KYUSHU, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Rugby Union,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA007B03K40P
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Planes, trains and automobiles is how most fans are following the Rugby World Cup in Japan, but for Alexandre Roux and Elsa Lepage riding fold-up bicycles around Kyushu is how they are taking in three of their five games at the tournament.
For Roux, 31, an emergency department doctor originally from Nantes in France who started playing rugby at the age of six, it was the perfect chance for him to come to the World Cup. For 32-year-old nurse Lepage, there was only one way of travelling she could think of.
The pair landed in Tokyo to see France's opening match against Argentina before taking the train to Hiroshima.
From there they unfolded their bikes and started pedalling, crossing to Shikoku, Japan's second smallest main island, then catching a ferry to Kyushu, the southern-most major island.
Roux said they had been following the coastline and the terrain had been "mostly" flat and they had cycled up to 85 kilometres on one day, but crossing to the mountainous Kyushu was proving to be more challenging.
The two were also travelling light, with just two changes of clothing each and a tent and sleeping bags for when they stopped at camp grounds.
So far none of the numerous snakes and other animals they have encountered have bothered them, although they got a flat tire shortly after they started their journey and
riding on the left-hand side of the road still takes getting used to.
They said riding bicycles allows them to cover enough ground while taking time to experience Japanese culture and meet people.
While unabashedly supporting the French at the tournament, former scrumhalf Roux and Lepage were also witnesses to a surprise win by Japan's Brave Blossoms against Ireland on September 28.
After they end their tour of Japan with the last France-England Pool C game in Yokohama, Roux and Lepage will fold their bikes and return to France. Next spring, an even bigger journey awaits them as they take to the seas for an open ended round the world trip on their sailing boat.
The folding bikes will be part of that one too.
(Production: Lucien Libert) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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