From Friday to Sunday, BiH will host the ‘Tour of BiH’, its first professional cycling race under the auspices of the International Cycling Organization (UCI) and join the ranks of countries such as France, Italy and Spain, and along the way, this organizationally demanding project could also bring significant tourist benefits.
The ‘Tour of BiH’, in which 175 professional cyclists from 38 countries will participate with the strong support of the Olympic Committee of BiH, will ride in three stages with a total length of 390 kilometers and a height difference of 4,400 meters, which connect the interior of the country with the only outlet to the sea.
The start of the race is scheduled for April 17 in Sarajevo, and that 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.
This will be followed by the stage from Mostar via Čapljina to Ljubuški and the final day, April 19, on the section Ljubuški – Neum.
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, and it was not easy to wrap it all up with one very demanding organization, at the center of which was the race director and president of the Cycling Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Toni Zorić.
“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, said Zorić for Fena news agency.
He added that “continental teams come to the Tour that are already at a serious level of competition, which is confirmed by their budgets of half a million euros” and that the race was designed as part of a long-term plan that envisages expansion to the northern parts of the country.
“We wanted the route to be a bit easier and that’s 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 stages. 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.
The organization of such an event was complex, but as such it will serve as a rich experience for the future, which Said Fazlagić, Secretary General of the Olympic Committee of BiH (OK BiH), the official partner of the ‘Tour of BiH’, is convinced of.
“First of all, this race will mean a lot for the cycling sport in BiH. Since the race takes place in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the local cyclists will thus get a platform to compete at the highest level without any big investments,” emphasized Fazlagić in an interview with Fena.
He emphasized that it will be a great experience for the BiH Cycling Federation, but not only that. The ‘Tour of BiH’ will, in his opinion, be an opportunity to achieve a much bigger goal.
“We should use the race to change the image in the world, because people still think that wars are being fought here, that this is an unsafe area, both for investments and for tourist visits. We want to convince people that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a beautiful country that has a lot to offer in terms of tourism,” he said.
On the trail of Fazlagić’s wishes and forecasts is Anđelko Maslać, head of the duties of the director of the Tourist Board of Herzegovina-Neretva County, through which most of the race will be driven.
“For us at the Tourist Association of HNŽ, the ‘Tour of BiH’ is definitely much more than a sports event, because it introduces HNŽ and BiH to the map of international professional cycling, and on the long side, it gives us a strong promotional tool for tourism, especially for our Herzegovina,” said Maslać for Fena.
Maslać underlined that the cities through which the race will pass “will have a great opportunity to present themselves as places of active vacations, sports tourism, top natural and cultural experiences”.
He added that this implies that all teams, spectators, partners themselves and world media will not only see the sports race, but also our landscapes, cities, cultural heritage and the total tourism potential of our Herzegovina.
One of the main pillars of Bosnia and Herzegovina has such a picture in front of him. national team on the Tour, the most successful BiH. cyclist, Vedad Karić.
The experienced Zenica native is especially looking forward to the prominent landscape character of the race, and he added that it was he who proposed the stage from Sarajevo to Mostar to the race director Toni Zorić.
He pointed out that the Neretva canyon is a very attractive sight for tourists and therefore one of the great advantages of the race, which could generally encourage greater interest in cycling in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As far as results are concerned, Karić is not burdened.
“It would be ideal, although it will depend on the tactics of the selectors, for one of our cyclists to be on the run and thus be seen. After all, TV transmission will also be provided. With the fact that much stronger teams than other regional races at our level participate. It is really about very good drivers and clubs and it will be difficult to make a significant result. But we will not surrender,” he said.