2023-09-05 09:20:08
A well-known influencer on Instagram, Anthony Valerio, alias Monsieur Banane, set off on the roads of EuroVelo 19 this summer. Between France, Belgium and the Netherlands, he covered 1,050 km in 13 days along the Meuse. An enchanting journey, touristically very rich, with also the desire to raise awareness regarding the environment and the need to preserve rivers and streams.
Anthony Valerio, true promoter of cycle tourism. ©DR
“I may be from the Grand Est, I did not know the EuroVelo 19” simply admits the creator of content on social networks Anthony Valerio. An ignorance that is timely because following his Strasbourg – Berlin achieved last winter, he wanted another challenge. This time in summer. “I wanted something fairly short and not too steep” he specifies.
“We take full eyes”
An exchange with the Meuse and Haute-Marne Tourist Office, and the idea was launched. Little known in France, theEuroVelo 19 spreads over 1,050 km from Langres (Haute-Marne) to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In France, from Haute-Marne to the Ardennes, the route totals nearly 450 km crossing cities like Neufchâteau, Commercy, Verdun, Sedan or Charleville-Mézières. Anthony Valerio praises all these towns imbued with a rich history as well as the very wide variety of landscapes, “we take our eyes full of it”.
Alone, on his mountain bike – not electric – weighted down with a few panniers, he sets off early in the morning, between 7 and 8 am, and pedals until the beginning of the followingnoon. “I didn’t do any specific preparation. I travel a lot by bike. So at the level of the calves, it’s fine “ affirms our Instagrameur who over his 13 days of journey has nevertheless suffered four days of heavy rain“that was the less fun side but I refused to be picked up by car”.
A particularly photogenic route. ©Anthony Valerio
“It can be seen that this route has been worked on”
If in the followingnoon he gets down to montage of his videos for social networks, he also takes the opportunity to visit. ” Anyway, if I wanted to see something, I didn’t hesitate to deviate from the itinerary” points out Mr. Banana. There loop of the Meuse at Monthermé is one of the images he keeps in mind. “When you arrive in this small village, you then have to climb on small paths to have a view of the Meuse which meanders over the village, it’s absolutely magnificent” declares the bikepacker. Whether planned or not, decided beforehand or under the effect of a sudden impulse, he is enthusiastic regarding the interest and the beauty of what he sees. The Roches de Bourmont park; the house of Joan of Arc, its museum and the basilica in Domremy, the beer museum in Stenay, the future Meuse wine route… amazes him. “It can be seen that this route has been worked on. On the French side, it even moves away from the Meuse so that you can see certain things, a nice viewpoint, a village, a museum… it’s great”.
Bourmont, city of character. ©Anthony Valerio
Historic cities and natural landscapes catch the eye
Accommodated in a hotel, homestay or camping, Anthony Valerio never loses his common thread, the Meuse, from its source to the North Sea. After the French part, Belgium in turn reveals its attractions. Dinan and its citadel, Namur and its magnificent castle, the forts of Huy and Liège…, here once more historic cities and natural landscapes catch the eye. Once once more, everything is a pretext for wonderment. A little less on the final part in the Netherlands. “I rode a whole day for a hundred kilometers without ever seeing anything significant. It was a bit boring,” admits the influencer. Nothing, however, that diminishes his satisfaction and the pleasure of having completed this EuroVelo 19 in its entirety in just 13 days. “I highly recommend this route. It is completely secure and is not difficult at all since it has little elevation. It is also well marked, it is not necessary to look at the track on your mobile. This cycling adventure along the Meuse is accessible to everyone, even children » summarizes Anthony Valerio. In storyteller mode, the latter also relies on his journey to alert on the need to preserve the environment, “to raise awareness of the importance of rivers and streams”. And then, he adds, it’s also a way of showing that we can make “very beautiful trips without necessarily taking the plane”.
Life is a challenge, for Anthony Valerio, the next one might be set in Greece. ©DR
Packed by the Meuse by bike, Anthony Valerio is already planning a future challenge. “I like Greece, so why not Eurovelo 8” declares the person concerned. 5,900 km long, it connects Cadiz in Spain to Athens, before continuing on to Cyprus. Having at heart to make discover his adventures to his subscribers, at the origin of the game on Instagram Banana Road, Anthony does not intend to hang up the world of influence and social networks. “I told myself that I would stop at 30, but now that I am approaching 33, I realize that I have offered myself extra money. Well then there will be an end to everything. But for the moment I continue”.
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