From April 17 to 19, Bosnia and Herzegovina will host its first professional cycling race under the auspices of the International Cycling Organization (UCI) under the name “Tour of BiH”.
The race will bring together 175 cyclists from 38 countries, which places BiH alongside countries with top cycling traditions such as France, Italy and Spain.
The director of the race and the president of the Cycling Federation of BiH, Toni Zorić, told Fena that this event, with the strong support of the Olympic Committee of BiH, opens a big door for domestic sports and tourism.
The race route was designed as a unique journey through Bosnia and Herzegovina that will connect urban centers, untouched nature, mountain passes, rivers and historic cities, Zorić pointed out.
We have a lot of experience in actively organizing events at a high level since 2013, so we organized the Blidinje Bike Festival and one-day road races in Herzegovina, but this is the first experience of organizing events at such a high level – he added.
He emphasized that the permits that had to be obtained from cities and ministries, as well as meetings with the police and generally that type of communication, were what took the most time and energy.
With an emphasis on safety, everything, Zorić said, went on its own course.
The most important thing in all of this is safety, and that requires the most energy. We have 130 people in the organization, each of them deals with their own part of the work. In general, the most difficult thing was finding financial resources, but all in all, we are satisfied with how things are going so far and I believe that in a month we will have an excellent event in Bosnia and Herzegovina – he said.
BiH has already experienced events such as the Sarajevo Grand Prix one-day cycling race and the race on the Belgrade – Banja Luka section, but the Tour of BiH is still something special.
And we now have a tour race, just like France has the Tour de France, Italy the Giro, and Spain the Vuelta. This event opens big doors for us, both with our neighbors and at the European level, and we become credible in the International Cycling Federation as well – stressed Zorić, for whom, in addition to promoting the race, it is very important to promote cycling in general.
Thus, he points out that the organization closely monitors reactions on social networks, where all comments are positive, which is very encouraging for this sport, which is clearly growing and gaining attention in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In this context, it is important to have continuity, which the Tour organization is well aware of.
Certainly, the goal is for this event to go long-term. Already for next year, we have the interest of other cities from the Federation and Republika Srpska that want to be the start or finish of the stage. In a way, this is a trial first edition, but I believe that the second year will be much easier for the organization – stressed Zorić, who admitted that the goal was to make the first edition of the race easier for the competitors.
The reason behind such an idea lies in the desire of the organization to make the race as attractive as possible for spectators who will experience such an experience for the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Our goal was to make the route a little easier, and that’s exactly why we started from Sarajevo towards Mostar, and not the other way around, where there would be a lot more climbing. We wanted the group to be as compact as possible when entering the finish line of the stage. To give spectators the experience of entering the finish line of a caravan of 175 cyclists at full speed with a motorcycle escort and a helicopter in the air. It will be a spectacle. I believe that people in Mostar, Ljubuški and Neum will have a special experience – said Zorić.
In an effort for the Tour of BiH to get the desired momentum in its first edition, for cycling to attract children, not only professional sports but also urban cycling, the top teams that arrive at the race will certainly help.
Zorić points out that serious teams come to the Tour, above which only Pro Continental and World Pro Tour teams are still present. In short, spectators will have a lot to see at the Tour.
Continental teams are coming to us, which are already at a serious level of competition, which is confirmed by budgets of half a million euros. We also have national teams, and I would put special emphasis on the teams from the neighborhood that we were obliged to invite, because those are the countries where our team is going to compete – concluded Zorić.
The start of the race is scheduled for April 17 in Sarajevo, and the first stage will end in Mostar. According to the organization’s estimate, at an average speed of 45 km/h, cyclists will need three hours and 7 minutes to complete the first day of the Tour.
Next is the stage from Mostar via Čapljina to Ljubuški and the final day, April 19, the last stage on the section Ljubuški – Neum.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
