Bike for Europe set to finish with style in Vienna

10/08/2018

The final stop on the Bike for Europe tour will be in the heart of Europe, Vienna. The teams will arrive in the state that currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on the 21st of September. The North Team will arrive via the Czech Republic, having passed by the historical Moravian city of Brno before crossing the border into Austria, while the South Team will have departed from the Slovakian capital of Bratislava on their way to the final stop on their journey.

While all ten riders will certainly be slightly tired and a bit sore after weeks in the saddle, we hope that they have some energy left for the inspiring and expansive schedule of events – organised by BSO (the Austrian Sports Organisation) and the Austrian Ministry of Sports - that are set to take place along the banks of the Danube.

There is significance of the team arriving on the 21st of September, with National School Sport day getting underway in Austria. Around 2000 school children are expected to take part just in Prater Park, one of the largest parks in the city, kicking off a fantastic weekend of sport! Later in the evening the Bike for Europe team will get involved in a Critical Mass event, where cyclists ride together to raise awareness about environmentally friendly mobility, something that all of our team members are passionate about. Bikes have proven to be sustainable, green, and rewarding to the rider! On the same day in Vienna the Austrian Presidency will highlight the diverse economic dimension of sport, with a conference on the subject. The event will facilitate an exchange of views and information on a number of topics, including the economic benefits that the positive health effects of sport and exercise have across a range of sectors, from health to transport.

The teams second day in Vienna is certainly even more significant than the first! On the 22nd of September “The Day of Sports” will take place, once again in Prater Park, an event that will double as the opening for the 2018 European Week of Sport! The Bike for Europe team will have a booth inside the European Village for the whole day, so you are more than welcome to come along and say hello to them, and maybe even do some cycling related activities when you are there, be that an obstacle course, some slow biking, or possibly even donating your kilometres to do something good not only for your health, but for people in need. It promises to be an enormous event, with around 500,000 people expected to be in attendance over the course of the day. There will be over 130 sports federations and organisations attending, and there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

In the afternoon the 2018 European Week of Sport opening will take place, with active involvement from – you guessed it – the Bike for Europe team. After a showcase cultural opening to the event, the Bike for Europe team will be the centre of attention in mid-afternoon! Photos and videos from the tour will be shown on the screen, before the teams ride onto the stage, park up their bikes, and both the North and South team will join together to symbolise unity across Europe. They will talk about the tour and its purpose, taking part in a Q&A session that will touch on their experiences on the tour, as well as their passion for cycling and what the tour hopes to achieve. The team will then be present alongside the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Tibor Navracsics, for the official opening of the European Week of Sport, finishing an amazing journey right across Europe in style.