For Jason Vail, the story began in Lourdes, France. After misplacing his passport in a hotel, was there another miracle of Lourdes? What happened next would ultimately send him on a very different journey.

In this episode of the VIA Podcast, Jason shares the story behind the lost passport, his unique view from the "back of the pack" and finishing as the "Lanterne Rouge".

Why does an American cross an ocean to cross Europe 3 times in 3 years? As a VIA Trilogy rider, Jason has some unique views and great advice for new riders.

A tale of ultracycling, bureaucracy, bad luck, good luck, and perhaps even a miracle.

Chapters:

00:37 Meet Jason Vail

06:45 First Ultra Racing Experiences

16:35 Five 4,000km Races on the Trot

17:08 The Miracle of Lourdes?

21:40 The Lanterne Rouge

39:43 Europe vs America

47:00 France is a Food Desert

1:06:58 Why He Keeps Returning to Europe

1:10:14 Advice for New Riders

Listen to Chris Thomas' incredible story and his ride back to both life and love.

In this episode of the VIA Podcast, we catch up with Chris Thomas, a VIA Chapter I rider, to talk about his experience of Chapter I, and why he didn't return to Chapter II.

Will he return to Chapter III?

Listen to his take on the VIA Chapter I rivalry with "Eivind the Terrible" @eivindnordal

What's so special about his "VIA bike"?

How did main organiser Ian @itultracycling impact his life?

What did he say to Broomwagon mechanic Pete @alfanoframeworks at the start of Chapter I?

What makes him so resilient? Discover the highs and lows of his life and how he came so close to death.

This episode was a fascinating and enjoyable conversation: completely open and honest, no holds barred. Seriousness and humour are mixed, as are the extremes of dark and light moments. Don't miss out!

WARNING! At minute 45 of this episode there are images and audio which are graphic in nature and will be disturbing to some viewers and listeners. Skip ahead to minute 54:38:21 to skip the graphic content.