Tratnik and Omrzel don't hide their ambitions before the 32nd Tour of Slovenia

The last "non-cycling" event of this year's Tour of Slovenia took place in the Velenje Coal Mining Museum of Slovenia. At a press conference, Slovenian cyclists from the Bahrain Victorious and Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe teams revealed their ambitions, both of whom more than hinted at high goals. The start of the race will be on Wednesday at 12:15 at Vista by Lake Velenje.

The 810-kilometre-long loop promises to be a battle between the two teams from the World Tour series, each with their own strengths and both starting from the same starting point. Likewise, the strong teams that are ranked lower on paper will not just watch them and will look for opportunities at every turn, at least in the breakaways, Slovenian cyclists from the three domestic will certainly be very active as well. Every day will bring an open battle for the stage win, meanwhile the race for the green jersey of the overall winner will likely be decided on Saturday's queen mountain stage and confirmed on Trška Gora just before the finish line of the race.

Two top Slovenian cyclists revealed their goals.

Jan Tratnik (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe): "After four years, it's great to race on home roads again, in front of home fans. We brought a very strong line-up to the race, also in preparation for the Tour de France, and we don't hide the fact that we would like to win with Florian. We are aware that we have a strong line-up, but at the same time it is not that easy to win. The teams will have their own interests and it will certainly not be easy. We will have to do our best for a successful finish in Novo mesto.”

Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious): "Everyone has their own goals, if you come to the start of the race, you can't say you don't want to win. We have a fast sprinter in the team, and the rest are there to help the captain. I believe I can win Vršič. The race is beautifully designed, the routes are very good. I will enjoy riding my bike and hope that the rest will develop in my favor."

All stages of the Tour of Slovenia have their own beauties and special features, all of them will be a good test for cyclists. After the start in Velenje, the finish of the first stage will be in Rogaška Slatina, followed by four more tests: Radlje ob Dravi - Ormož, Maribor - Celje, Kranj - Kranjska Gora and Litija - Novo mesto. Of course, the listed places are connected by several dozen official destinations, each of which will send a postcard from Slovenia to the world. Metka Pirc from the Slovenian Tourist Board spoke about the promotional significance of the race: "The Tour of Slovenia is an important international promotional platform for the Slovenian Tourist Board, through which we present Slovenia as a green, active and boutique tourist destination with exceptional natural resources, hospitable people and excellent conditions for active experiences. With the long-term cooperation of the organizer, destinations and the STO, the Slovenian loop has become a recognizable example of the successful integration of sport, tourism and sustainable promotion of the country. Our commitment to this event reflects the STO mission: to strengthen Slovenia's reputation as the homeland of top athletes, a destination for unforgettable active experiences and an excellent host of international sporting events. For the ninth year in a row, the Slovenian Tourist Board has been providing coverage of the race on Eurosport, while also implementing an extensive advertising campaign. In all these years, we have already reached more than 71 million television viewers in more than 130 countries, and this reach will certainly increase this year. "

Let us conclude with the words of Peter Dermol, Mayor of the City of Velenje, who welcomed the guests with a remarkably good story: "The start of the race is very much connected to the coal industry. Today we are in this wonderful museum, which hides the secrets of mining in its depths, and tomorrow the stage will start on a once degraded area, where the beautiful Vista beach is now located. We consider it a great honor in Velenje to be able to host the start of the race and I believe that we will create a good fan atmosphere. Velenje is increasingly a cycling city and we want to be part of the Tour of Slovenia in the future as well. "

You will be able to follow the race live on Eurosport and Television Slovenia.

Photos by Sportida.com