30th edition Tour of Slovenia route revealed

The 30th edition of the Tour of Slovenia will visit places all over Slovenia and all four neighboring countries. Twenty-two teams, including six of the highest category, will race on five stages. The race will start on 12th June in Murska Sobota, with the winner crowned five days later in Novo mesto.

Three decades of history & tradition have created countless stories, but during this time the Tour of Slovenia has also developed into a sport-tourism spectacle and has made a name for itself in the international road cycling calendar. The anniversary race will be special, in many ways it will be a race of surpluses. With a total length of 840.5 kilometers, it will be the longest since 2004, with sections of this year's route also taking on Hungarian, Austrian, Croatian and Italian roads. Millions of people from all over the world will see the race, thanks to the now traditional Eurosport coverage, meanwhile the organizers can once again reasonably expect hundreds of thousands of spectators along the roads of all five stages. Of course, the race will also be broadcast by Televizija Slovenija, whose viewing figures are also fantastic. To mark the anniversary the television will also produce a number of special shows dedicated to the history of the race. With these figures and all the stars of cycling, the race is easily up there with the biggest sporting events in Slovenia.

Six UCI WorldTeam teams, eleven UCI ProTeam teams and five continental teams, including three Slovenian teams - Adria Mobil, Ljubljana Gusto Santic and Sava Kranj - have confirmed their participation in the jubilee race. The Tour of Slovenia is part of the ProSeries (UCI 2.Pro), and with this line-up of teams, the competition will be extremely strong.

The battle for the green jersey will take place from 12th-16th June, with all five stages being challenging and offering opportunities for riders of different profiles. Each of the stages features at least one categorized climb, with the overall winner expected to be decided on stage four. The race will start in the north-east of the country with a 192-kilometre stage from Murska Sobota to Ormož, followed by the "Styrian classic" from Žalec to Rogaška Slatina, before the caravan moves to the far west with a stage from Ljubljana to Nova Gorica. Stage 4 will start in Škofljica and finish at Krvavec. The last stage will take place in Dolenjska, with a loop from Šentjernej to the traditional finish in Novo mesto.

Stages of the 30th Tour of Slovenia:
Stage 1: Murska Sobota - Ormož (192.3 km)
Stage 2: Žalec - Rogaška Slatina (180.7 km)
Stage 3: Ljubljana - Nova Gorica (160.5 km)
Stage 4: Škofljica - Krvavec (147.2 km)
Stage 5: Šentjernej - Novo mesto (159.8 km)

The overall winner of the race will receive a replica of the oldest wooden bicycle, found in Ljubljana Marshes, and the same trophy will be awarded to the best host of the race. The latter will not be decided by seconds, but by an expert jury that will evaluate the activities of the local reception of the caravan, the promotional activities, the environmental aspects, and the performance on digital channels. The Kids Tour of Slovenia, a race for young cyclists, is also returning as a side event. It’s scheduled for 5^th-7^th July.

Photos: Sportida