The new route will be challenging and adventurous for all, but not too difficult.Continue reading
This year’s Visegrad 4 Bicycle Race, organized by Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland for the 10th time since 2013, will start on Saturday with the Budapest-Pannonhalma stage.
At a press conference in Budapest on Monday Boglárka Illés, State Secretary for Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that the cycling race is a special event not only in the world of sport but also in the cooperation between the V4 countries.
“The cooperation of the Central European countries has not only been decisive in Europe’s past, but will continue to be so in the present and in the future,” she said, adding that through such events and sport in general, they can not only express but also strengthen this unity. She added that the competition is not only about endurance and sporting achievement, but also about friendship and togetherness, and she hopes that they can send this message to other EU countries.
Boglárka Illés (L2), Domonkos Schneller, President of the Hungarian Cycling Federation (L), and Zsolt Törzsök, chief organizer (L3). Photo: MTI/Hegedüs Róbert
The Visegrad cooperation started in 1335 and was strengthened on February 15, 1991, with the establishment of the Visegrad Group. Boglárka Illés pointed out that this cohesion plays a key role in the development and stability of Central Europe, in the development of economic relations, in political representation and in the preservation of cultural values. She stressed that
Hungary will take over the V4 presidency in a year’s time, and that this event would be a fitting prelude to that.
Photo: MTI/Hegedüs Róbert
Domonkos Schneller, President of the Hungarian Cycling Federation, said that since the V4 is one of Europe’s most important cooperation schemes and cycling “one of the most democratic sports,” the combination of the two can only lead to very good outcomes.
The start of the Giro d’Italia in Budapest has put cycling in Hungary on a new level and, thanks to the results of Attila Valter and Kata Blanka Vas, put Hungary on the international map of the sport,”
he highlighted.
The finish line will be at the Pannonhalma Archabbey (northwestern Hungary). Photo: Wikipedia
Zsolt Törzsök, chief organizer, explained that
26 teams from 8 nations will compete in the race, including 12 professional and 13 club teams and one national team.
Over 20 cyclists will represent Hungary, and the event is important for them to improve their international ranking points. The Hungarian stage will start slowly on Saturday from the Carl Lutz quay in front of the Vogue event boat in Budapest, and after a sharp start in Budakeszi (Budapest agglomeration), the competition will cover 138.5 kilometers to the finish line at the Pannonhalma Archabbey.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Vanik Zoltán Fotóriporter