Explore returns with Adam Bowie, one of The Cycling Podcast's producers, taking over the mic to document his ride at the 2023 Étape du Tour.

Each July, the Étape gives thousands of riders a chance to experience the thrill of riding the route of a Tour de France stage on closed roads. This time it was the course of stage 14 from Annemasse to Morzine in the Alps, taking in the Col de Cou, Col du Feu, Col de la Ramaz and Col de Joux Plane.

The Étape was celebrating its 30th anniversary – the first edition was held in 1993 and was 'won' by Christophe Rinero, who five years later won the king of the mountains. More recently, the fastest finisher in the 2018 Étape, Victor Lafay, won a stage of the 2023 Tour de France in San Sebastian.

But for the other 16,000 participants the challenge is completing the stage. Regular listeners will remember Adam's episode of Explore from 2021, in which he tackled the 350-kilometre King Alfred's Way route in south-west England.

This time, we join Adam in the Alps, as he takes on a reconnaissance ride a few days before the Étape...

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