Meet Joel Emonson.

The 31-year-old from Berriwillock — 330km northeast of Melbourne — has joined thousands of Australians in Kazan for today’s Cup opener against France, but none have experienced a journey like his.

Emonson is riding all over Russia on his bicycle for 52 days during the tournament, going to the Socceroos games in Kazan and Samara.

And he won’t stop there, saddling up for a further 10 weeks through Eastern Europe.

Most people can’t understand the principle or actually doing it. I don’t think about Istanbul. I’m just thinking about tomorrow, where I am heading the next day

It’s him, his bike, a tent strapped to the handlebars and two bags fastened at the back, holding his clothes, food supplies and a portable stove.

Try reading these figures without just cramping up in the calves: 120 days, 8000km, 12 countries, 100km a day, and in the saddle for eight hours a day.

Emonson — proudly decked out in the fluoro tradie shirt he wears on the road — admits that most people are shocked when he tells them what he’s doing, but to him it’s the best way to travel.

“Most people can’t understand the principle or actually doing it. I don’t think about Istanbul. I’m just thinking about tomorrow, where I am heading the next day,” he says.

“You get to see a country. Not just big cities. Cycle touring is such a rewarding way of travelling.”

His journey, which started on June 7 in the town of Vladimir — three hours out of Moscow — will take him all over Russia before heading south through Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece before flying home from the Turkish capital of Istanbul on October 2.

The diciest moment so far?

“There was a truck coming towards me, overtaking while I was on a narrow shoulder. So two trucks heading towards me at speed. That wasn’t fun,” Emonson says.

Still, it’s not as scary as the time he came across a mountain lion in Canada, apparently.

There was a truck coming towards me, overtaking while I was on a narrow shoulder. So two trucks heading towards me at speed. That wasn’t fun

This is not the first time he has undertaken such an arduous trip.

In 2015 he followed the Matildas around Canada during the Women’s World Cup and next year he’s planning on doing the same in France before heading to the Ashes, Wimbledon and the French Open.

It’s been a week so far and no crashes or major issues with his bike, not even a punctured tyre.

The Socceroos can only hope their ride through Russia will be just as smooth.