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Join on Telegram Rabat – Born in 1981 in the French commune Vernon, Rdoane Rabbah started a cycling challenge to raise awareness about climate change and plastic pollution.
The father of four left Evreux, France, on July 12 at 3:00 p.m, with the finish line set at Morocco’s coastal city of Safi.
“I’m living one of my dreams that I really care about, the one where I travel by bike across France and Spain to Safi, a city on the Atlantic coast,” Rabbah told Morocco World News.
The Moroccan cyclist spends one night in each city that he passes by. Thirteen days after his departure, he reached Spain on Monday this week.
“Today [July 26], I plan to go to Barcelona passing through Lloret de Mar [and] Mataro,” Rabbah told MWN, adding that his journey will extend to Valencia, Alicante, Almeria, Malaga, and Marbella to reach the Port of Algeciras.”
After crossing Spain, the cyclist plans to enter Morocco through Tanger Med port. From there, he would go along the country’s Atlantic coastal line passing by the capital Rabat to reach Safi.
“I counted fifteen days to go before arriving in Safi inshallah [God willing],” he added.
Through the cycling challenge, Rabbah seeks to raise awareness about plastic pollution and the repercussions of climate change.
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“We should really take care of it [earth] as if it is our mother. If she falls sick we must all nurse it,” Rabbah told MWN. “We must rally, avoid throwing everything and anything away on the Earth or into the sea.”
Alerted by global warming, the Moroccan cyclist urges the public to act quickly for the future of planet Earth.
To spread his message, Rabbah has been trying to participate in events on climate change and other environmental issues throughout his itinerary. He has also worked on picking up trash found on the road.
“I stop several times to pick up everything I find on my way such as plastic, twines, aluminum cans, and windscreen wipers,” Rabbah told MWN. “I pick up everything that can harm our environment and I put them in my garbage bag and then throw them into their proper containers.”
“I hope that I will not have much garbage to pick up on my journey,” he added.
Faced with rising temperatures exceeding 40 degrees celsius across Southern Europe and in Morocco, the cyclist thinks that he is “fit” for the challenge.
“I stay hydrated with water that I have in my backpack. I dilute it with lemon syrup [and]zero sugar,” he explained.
Rabbah also uses an electric bike for the challenge with a range of sixty kilometers. He uses electric assistance when needed, particularly on steep surfaces. As for flat surfaces, “I use only the strength of my legs and the will of God,” he said.
Driven by his love for the planet, Rabbah is taking on the cross-continental cycling challenge to call for climate awareness. He shares his journey with the public through his social media accounts to inspire fellow Moroccan and French people interested in climate advocacy.
“I love our planet very much,” Rabbah said.
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