The organizers of the Blidinje BIKE Festival are proud to announce that the Balkan Championship will be held as part of the 2024 edition, so that the Blidinje Nature Park and Bosnia and Herzegovina will welcome athletes and teams from more than 12 countries. This three-day event will be held in the Blidinje Nature Park, and the Balkan Championship is scheduled for Sunday, July 14.
Biographical trails, untouched nature, authentic and real Herzegovinian flavors seasoned with a little adrenaline, all this and much more will be brought to the Blidinje BIKE Festival in 2024, and the organizers will present several novelties at the event. However, the main news is the organization of the Balkan Championship as part of "XCM Herzegovina” maraton utrke.
Blidinje BIKE Festival - stands for the biggest and most beautiful cycling festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is gaining more and more importance every year, and now after its fifth edition, the organizers are going one step further in the presentation of cycling as a sport and tourism potential of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Rumors started circulating earlier that the organizers wanted to make a breakthrough with the organization and present the Blidinje Nature Park to a wider audience. Now, in its sixth edition, Herzegovina will host athletes and teams from more than 12 countries, and along with this news, the organizers are announcing a lot more: the formation of a race for all those on electric bikes, guided tours in the week before the start of the event, bike tours with tasting traditional Herzegovinian food and wine, demo and test rides, bicycle exhibitions, product fairs and an even richer entertainment program.
“Just yesterday we received this excellent news from Mr. Emina Muftuoglu, president of the Balkan Federation, that at the meeting of the Board of Directors it was decided that the organization of the Balkan Championship in MTB Marathon should be awarded to Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are very happy about that, of course, because the Blidinje BIKE Festival is a recognized and well-known event in our country, and now this recognition crosses borders to more than 12 countries. I might sound pretentious, but this is just another step in the organization of this event, our goals are much bigger", said Toni Zorić, president of the HerzegovinaBike association.
The event is again scheduled for the third week of the seventh month, from May 19 to 21, to be exact, in the Blidinje Nature Park, the main location of good food and good life, located in the very heart of Herzegovina. Blidinje Nature Park is one of the most spectacular areas in Herzegovina, showing great natural and historical beauty and trails suitable for mountain bikers of all abilities. An area rich in history, culture and a long tradition of good food. Blidinje BIKE Festival is considered the biggest cycling festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We have registered our race "XCM Herzegovina", which is held as part of the Blidinje BIKE Festival, in the UCI calendar (UCI - the International Cycling Federation has 199 member countries), so we expect confirmation from the UCI that this event will also be included in their calendar. A big problem for us is the limited accommodation capacity in Blidinje, but we are solving that problem with the "Visit Blidinje" association, which in 2024 took on greater organizational responsibilities and became the leading partner of this event.Zorić added.
For now, the organizers point out that they plan to hold the event over three days:
- Friday is planned for the reception and registration of athletes, guided tours to Blidinje, presentation workshops with sponsors and patrons, and educational workshops for the youngest.
- Saturday is again scheduled for a recreational bicycle ride along the Ajduka Trail, which will take the participants, in addition to visiting the natural beauty of Blidinje, to tastings of local dishes and drinks in famous Blidinje restaurants. Also, a presentation of the teams/countries that will participate in the Balkan Championship is planned for Saturday, and the organizers are announcing more events that they do not want to reveal at this moment.
- Sunday is scheduled for professional cyclists who will test their strength at the MTB Marathon events "UCI C1 XCM Herzegovina" and "XCM Balkan Championship".
One thing is certain, Blidinje BIKE Festival in 2024 brings a unique cycling experience that takes place in the heart of Herzegovina and brings unforgettable three days that will present Bosnia and Herzegovina to more than 12 countries of the Balkans. Many famous cyclists are already announcing their arrival, so we will have a real cycling elite to ride this race, and for everyone else who is considered unprepared for greater achievements, we can say that the event has been announced on time and you still have plenty of time to prepare !
And as additional motivation, we bring a video that best presents how the organization of this event looked in 2023.