Saturday cycling events L'Etape Slovenia 2023
Opening of the 2nd edition of L'Etape Slovenia with children's and family cycling in Kranj, a town of sports with a rich cycling tradition
The second edition of the 2-day festival L'Etape Slovenia is behind us. Saturday's opening of a very special village with two dozen of exhibitors on Slovenski trg attracted more than 1,000 people, many young cyclists, families and the young at heart to the city of Kranj. More than 500 people attended a cycling experience in the spirit of the Tour de France in the afternoon.
Vivid from the morning
The city was vivid from the morning when everything was being prepared for the 2-day spectacle in the spirit of the Tour de France, and the last preparatory work and the picking up of the starting numbers of the participants in the cycling routes took place. The Saturday bike rides were completed to the last, 500th place and all free of charge thanks to the event's strategic partner Gorenjska banka
Shortly before the start of the first cycling ride a deputy mayor of the Municipality of Kranj Janez Černe addressed the participants of the event. With an expressed welcome to a city with a rich cycling tradition - it boasts, among other things, the oldest international UCI cycling race for professional cyclists, the Grand Prix of Kranj, and the Kranj Cycling Club, which is considered a breeding ground for many talents, including stars like Jan Polanc, Luka Mezgec and Matej Mohorič - and which boasts the title of European Destination of Excellence 2023, is also committed to implementing sustainable efforts, as the city was included in the EU Mission of 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030.
However, L'Etape Slovenia ambassador Matej Mohorič felt honoured in the company of all those gathered, and gladly shared his rich experience and encouraged all the participants in the cycling trials. The cycling opening began with the performances of the youngest, who independently set out on a ride on the 800 m cycle. Their joy brought a smile to the face of everyone who admired them along the track. This was followed by the start of two more age categories of children, who cycled two or three 800 m laps and were an inspiration to many cyclists for Sunday's Race/Ride as they were in such a racing mood. Matej Mohorič rode with budding cyclists and took care of their well-being at all the children's trials,
At 4:20 p.m. families and a group of cyclists were accompanied by the police and Ford vehicles the mobile partner of the festival, cycled the 12.5 km long route. In a non-competitive rhythm, they reached the finish line in less than an hour - all winners and richer for the experience of L'Etape Slovenia. There were quite a few toddlers in this group, as their parents, lovers of an active life, took them in children's bicycle seats. Matej Mohorič also cycled with them in the company of his daughter.
The cycling atmosphere was rounded off by two more exhibitions: about the history of the Tour de France and the Gallery in the city, which was created in cooperation with the MO Kranj, the Kranj Gymnasium, and the organizers L'Etape Slovenia. The latter exhibition was prepared by the students who were members of the photography group led under the mentorship of prof. Petar Zupan. The exhibition is on display at its permanent location, opposite the entrance to the City Library of Kranj, until September 15, 2023.
>> View photos of L’Etape Slovenia
Thank you all for being a part of Saturday's L'Etape Slovenia by Tour de France 2023. See you next year - already mark 7 and 8 September 2024 for the cycling weekend.
