Viana do Castelo cyclist reaches Italy, halfway to Turkey's COP31 climate summit

David Mendes, who heads the Viana Ciclável association, has cycled 2,500 km towards Antalya, where the COP31 climate conference will be held. He left on 5 October without motorised support or a back-up team, and has crossed Portugal, Spain and France before reaching Italy. The full route covers 4,700 km through 11 countries. The ride honours cyclists killed on the road and is backed by Viana do Castelo council, which gave him a ten-point commitment letter on cycling and climate protection, including a basic cycle network by 2030 and car-traffic reduction.