Third stage in the embrace of the magnificent Celje history

Celje, third largest Slovenian city, lies by the confluence of rivers Savinja and Voglajna in the Lower Savinja Valley, will host Tour of Slovenia stage finish for the second time in the long history of the race.

Celje already hosted the race for five times, on four of those occasions the city hosted start of the stage. City proved as a perfect starting location for the discoveries of the beautiful countryside, full of reach history and Celje at its heart.

Finish of the stage will stressed historic importance of the city that was ruled by Counts of Celje, this is why local community decided to stage the finish on the Old castle, first mentioned in 1322 as the home of Counts of Celje, the most influential royal family in the area of Slovenia.

In connection with this Celje also prepared an unique trophy with the symbol of the city – Celje knight. Bojan Šrot, Mayor of the Municipality of Celje will present it to the strongest cyclists on the Celje castle.

“Knight is a symbol of power, authority and greatness of the counts and knights. Pride of the people of Celje is still very much alive, and the spirit of the mighty times of the rule of Celje Counts will leave forever. Whoever appreciates and respects its roots can spread his or her wings on the bright way to the future,” say residents of Celje. They are not proud only on their heritage, but also on their involvement in sports.

"Celje is a vibrant sports city. The Municipality of Celje is committed to continuous updates and new development of sports infrastructure that provides the best possible conditions for recreational and competitive activities for its residents. In the spring and summer, the city will host a range of sports events, and the Tour of Slovenia is certainly one of the most prominent among them, drawing one of the largest crowds. This year, the cycling race celebrates its quarter-century milestone, which is certainly an indicator of the event's excellence and professional approach in organization. At the same time, this is a good opportunity to present and promote our entire region. It is a unique sporting event that enjoys a strong reputation and brings together both Slovenian teams and top-ranking international cyclists, thus placing Slovenia and Celje on the international cycling map. I am pleased that the cyclists will climb the Celjska koča and visit Celje's old castle, our major tourist sight, as a part of the tour's 3rd stage. I sincerely commend the organizational board, headed by the Adria Mobil cycling club, the volunteers and all others involved for their effort in organizing the event. To all competitors, I wish a successful race and a lot of good luck on the roads. Welcome to Celje," said Bojan Šrot, Mayor of the Municipality of Celje.

Celje welcomes you: “Welcome in the city with the big sports hart!”

Photos: (portrait) Andraž Purg, (Celje) Jošt Gantar / Slovenia.info