Smiling group of cyclists in pink striped Échappée jerseys standing with their bikes
Cyclist holding white cycling shoes and two water bottles in a doorway
Stone pines and a Tuscan villa rooftop against a clear sky
Black and white detail of a bike mechanic's tool case on a table
Three cyclists in pink jerseys riding past a stone trail marker on a grassy Tuscan track
Panning shot of a cyclist in a green Échappée jersey against a blurred golden background
Black and white detail of an Échappée cycling jersey and saddle with riders behind
Close detail of white cycling shoes clipped into pedals on a gravel road with long shadows
Bird in flight silhouetted against the sun above a Tuscan stone rooftop
Black and white view of a line of small riders crossing a stone arch bridge with Tuscan hills behind
Cyclists in pink jerseys riding slowly through a Tuscan village street past pedestrians
Purple flowers in the foreground and a hazy Tuscan hillside beyond in warm light
Cyclist in black Échappée kit standing beside a wooden trail sign under trees
Wooded Tuscan ridge with cypress trees and a track winding through the hillside
Three cyclists riding fast on a Tuscan road in a panning shot with the hills blurred behind
Support van shelving with parts boxes and old race numbers pinned above
Two cyclists chatting on a bench beside their bikes at a rest stop
Italian road signs warning of deer and a slippery road beside tall dry grass
Abstract motion blur of a rider in a green jersey against green foliage
Lone cyclist descending a curving Tuscan road beside a rock face with riders behind
Cyclists in green striped jerseys regrouping in the shade of tall trees
Low panning shot of a colourful bike frame and wheel in motion on the road
Group of cyclists in green striped jerseys riding towards the camera on a sunlit road
Black and white view of a rider on a winding white gravel road across a rolling hill
Two riders walking their bikes up a dry hill track beneath a bare tree and a building cloud
Large stone farm buildings above olive trees on a Tuscan hillside
Black and white view from behind of three cyclists riding close together, one with an arm around another's shoulder
Rider leaning into a bend on a Tuscan road with grasses in the foreground
Panning shot of three cyclists in green jerseys with blurred trees behind
Two cyclists in pink jerseys on a track seen through dark foliage
Rider in a pink jersey from behind on a dusty gravel road with a group ahead in the dust
Small group of riders on a distant road below a hilltop of cypress and pine trees
Two cyclists in green jerseys riding side by side, one laughing, with blurred greenery behind
Two riders share a warm moment in strong backlight and sun flare
Portrait of a cyclist in a pink Échappée jersey and helmet at a stone walled rest stop
Six cyclists in pink jerseys riding towards the camera along an empty road
Hot air balloon above a wooded Tuscan valley in low warm light

Echappée Cycling Tour: Photography Project in Tuscany

Corporate cycling tour photography in Tuscany

I spent seven days in Tuscany photographing a private corporate cycling tour organised by Échappée. Six of those days were on the road, moving with the riders through heat that reached 38 degrees, from the white gravel of the Strade Bianche to village streets, long climbs and fast descents. The brief was one complete visual story that would become a printed photo book, a private online gallery and a Director’s Cut film, so every frame had to work in all three.

Most of the riding was photographed from the back of a motorbike, which is a method, not a trick. The vibration worked the filters loose on my lenses, dust got into everything, and holding a frame meant twisting sideways over uneven ground, so I trusted the rider in front completely and checked my kit at every stop. Some of the best pictures came from getting off the bike, framing riders through foliage on foot and staying roadside when a group went ahead. The moments I kept waiting for were the rehydration stops, where a group of individuals becomes a team.

The full story of how it was made is in my Press & News article on photographing a private cycling tour in Tuscany. For other brand and event work, see my Nike x Rebel Girls tour photography, the Red Bull Half Court basketball campaign and my wider commercial sports and lifestyle photography.

If you are planning a corporate cycling tour, a private sports event or a project that ends in a printed book, a gallery or a film, get in touch.