Cycling has been a sport for some time now, where you can be active during all 12 months of the year. One of the main reasons behind cycling being an all-season and year-round sport is its fast growing industry of cycling trainers, which allows cyclists to ride on attractive cycling routes from the comfort of their own homes.
We have witnessed the boom of virtual cycling platforms on which we can find cycling routes that simulate the actual characteristics of the race via a simulator. ‘I feel Slovenia’ Virtual Tour of Slovenia will take place on the ROUVY platform, whose exceptional advantage is that the cyclist observes the surroundings of the route throughout the ride with the help of real video footage. ROUVY’s augmented reality enables both amateur and pro riders to race and train together virtually on 1:1 simulated real tracks, connecting them into one global cycling peloton online.
The Virtual Tour of Slovenia will consist of 5 stages, which will be on the schedule every Saturday – starting always at 7 p.m. CET – between 27 February and 27 March 2021. In the first four stages, recreational cyclists will be able to compete live with 4 stars of the Slovenian and world cycling – Primož Roglič, Matej Mohorič, Jan Tratnik and Jani Brajkovič. Current number 1 on Men's UCI World Ranking, Primož Roglič, also the ambassador of the Slovenian Tourist Board, recorded a special video address, with which he has invited cyclists from all over the world to participate.
STAGES AND PARCOURS
RACE 1 | Feb 27 | Cerklje – Vrh pod Krvavcem, 13.8 km
Stage sponsor: Generali; special guest: Matej Mohorič (Team Bahrain Victorious)
RACE 2 | March 06 | Črnomelj – Novo mesto, 42.3 km
Stage sponsor: Hervis; special guest: Jani Brajkovič (Team Adria Mobil)
RACE 3 | March 13 | Izola – Šmarje – Koper, 39 km
Stage sponsor: Frutabela; special guest: Jan Tratnik (Team Bahrain Victorious)
RACE 4 | March 20 | Bohinj – Bled – Pokljuka, 40.3 km
Special guest: Primož Roglič (Team Jumbo-Visma)
RACE 5 | March 27 | Ljubljana Time Trial, 17.6 km
Drafting is ON, except for the last stage, which is a Time Trial. Each stage will count as a stand-alone race, and at the end of each stage, the winner will symbolically win a virtual green jersey. From those that compete on all five stages, a green jersey will be awarded for the winners in the men’s and women’s categories, in the different age groups, namely, up to 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60 and over 60.
SOCIAL RIDES WITH ADRIA MOBIL TEAM
For recreational cyclists who may prefer a less stressful format of group competition, the Virtual Tour of Slovenia provides a series of social rides, where the participants are welcome to ride together and enjoy the social aspect of the training. (ROUVY’s new “magnet”, from the Group Ride feature, allows for the cyclists of different levels to stay in the pack together, irrespective of their performance category.)
GROUP RIDE 1 | Feb 24 | Vrh pod Krvavcem
GROUP RIDE 2 | March 3 | Novo Mesto
GROUP RIDE 3 | March 10 | Koper
GROUP RIDE 4 | March 17 | Pokljuka
GROUP RIDE 5 | March 24 | Ljubljana
The event always starts at 19:00 CET.
The virtual tour around Slovenia will be an exceptional opportunity to promote Slovenia as a cycling destination. Participation of the best Slovenian cyclists, who are also great ambassadors of world cycling, is a great opportunity for foreign recreational cyclists to get to know the cycling icons along with the scenic beauty of Slovenia.
BROADCAST
KK Adria Mobil and Sport Media Focus will also provide live streaming of all five stages on the ROUVY YouTube platform.
Registration on the ROUVY platform for both races and social group rides.
Statement from Slovenian Tourist Board (STB)
During times when the implementation of sporting events in many cases is not possible or is limited, the Slovenian Tourist Board decides to participate in the ‘I FEEL SLOVENIA’ Virtual Tour of Slovenia. Their partnership with the event strengthens our activities in the field of development and promotion of the product of active recreation. The tourism product of ‘active holidays’ shows great potential for further growth; research highlights it as one of the most pronounced trends in the field of travel for 2021 and is also a two-year topic of STB promotional activities in 2022 and 2023.
“The STB is aware of the great importance of high-profile sporting events intended for recreational athletes, for the promotion of Slovenia and the Slovenian tourism. Such projects, like the virtual cycling races around Slovenia are additional support for the promotion of Slovenia as a destination for active holidays. Cycling is certainly the sport that serves as a direct connection between tourism and active holidays. The scenic outdoors is one of the most important tourist attractions in Slovenia and will provide exceptional opportunities in times when travel will be possible again.”
“We are convinced that through the virtual race around Slovenia, we will impress many sports fans and important media around the world which will showcase Slovenia as a destination for healthy and active experiences. We are also glad that professional cyclists like Primož Roglič, will take part in this project, and will help to further effectively promote Slovenia as a destination for active holidays and share the values of the “I feel Slovenia” brand.”
Media contact
For additional information please contact:
KK Adria Mobil: Bogdan Fink, bogdan.fink@adria-mobil.com, +386/ 41 766 322
Media support: Rok Šinkovc, rok.sinkovc@sportmediafocus.com, +386/ 41 713 232
About Tour of Slovenia
Tour of Slovenia is the largest cycling event in Slovenia, which every year increasingly attracts more and more people, who follow and watch the race either at the race track or through different media channels. The very first Tour of Slovenia was organized in May 1993, just one year after the Slovenian cycling organization became a member of the International cycling association UCI.
The Slovenian tour has continuously grown and developed and today, after successfully finishing it's 25th edition, it attracts world’s best cyclists and cycling teams to compete and demonstrate their skills on picturesque Slovenian roads, where images of landscapes change from Alpine, Pannonian to Mediterranean area.
With world-class partners and under a new slogan “Fight for green”, the Tour of Slovenia is gaining new momentum and is – aside from being a top cycling event – becoming also one of the main events for the international promotion of Slovenia as a five-star tourist destination.
About Slovenian Tourist Board
The Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) is a national tourist board that plans and carries out the marketing of Slovenia’s comprehensive tourist products and services and ensures the sustainable development of Slovenian tourism.