As part of their international mobility and supported by the Polytech Green scholarship, two students from Polytech Annecy-Chambéry chose to take on an ambitious challenge: reaching their host university in Greece by bicycle. Their journey began on August 31st from the Le Bourget-du-Lac campus.
This adventure, described as sporting, human, and eco-responsible, allows them to travel differently while minimizing the carbon footprint of their international project. Their destination: Crete, where they will cover nearly 3000 km in approximately 6 weeks, bikepacking style.
What started as a casual idea quickly transformed into a genuine adventure project. Brieg Verger and Gabriel Gobin will thus cycle across Europe to Crete before joining the Technical University of Crete.
The two students are not new to cycle touring. Together, they have already completed a 450 km loop in four days around Lake Geneva, starting from Chambéry. Their experience in trekking and bikepacking prepares them to calmly approach these six weeks of travel.
Beyond the sporting challenge, Brieg and Gabriel primarily wish to take the time to travel, discover the regions they cross, and fully enjoy this extraordinary experience, thereby illustrating the possibility of rethinking international mobility.
Gabriel Gobin, originally from Cirières (Deux-Sèvres), joined the Industrial and Territorial Ecology specialization at Polytech Annecy-Chambéry in 2024, after a preparatory program at Polytech Orléans. In May 2025, he had already completed a 800 km, 8-day trip between Chambéry and Cirières.
Brieg Verger, from Herbignac (Pays de la Loire), enrolled in the same specialization at Polytech Annecy-Chambéry in 2024, following a preparatory course at Polytech Nantes. An adventure enthusiast, he notably completed the Tour des Écrins with bivouacs and the Zermatt-Chamonix crossing.
Their project was supported by the school's international relations department, with assistance from manager Florence Truchy, who helped them with the project proposal to obtain the Polytech Green scholarship. She was present at their departure on August 31st.
