From the 2nd to the 6th of May, with a prologue and four stages (which this year also cover the Peloponnese), the PPC Cycling Tour of Greece continues its beautiful “journey” on the international paths of competitive road cycling.
The PPC Cycling Tour of Greece, which started last year after an absence of 10 years, and in fact upgraded to 2.1 in the UCI calendar, includes new routes this year and promises that every year it will include a new part of Greece.
The Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports Lefteris Avgenakis, the man who brought about the revival of the PPC Cycling Tour, and the members of the Cycling Greece Organizing Committee, welcomed to the PPC AIS Faliro the participants of the Race, the representatives of the local government of the areas through which the this year’s stages (routes), but also the sponsors of the event, as well as a multitude of cycling friends.
Journalists Evi Fragakis and Takis Pournarakis coordinated the event where this year’s… secrets were revealed.
Five competition days, 660.6 km (7,174 altitude), three Regions (Crete, Peloponnese and Western Greece), 13 Municipalities and a total of 23 cities and towns, 20 teams (6 ProTour, 11 Continental and 3 National), 120 athletes.
The Deputy Minister of Sports, Lefteris Avgenakis pointed out, among other things:
“We listened to a standing request from the sports community, worked with local communities to make it happen and weren’t intimidated by its huge demands.
We went higher, stronger. We understood the modern challenges and felt that cycling does not represent just another sport.
The bicycle is the companion of the rider, whether he is an athlete or an ordinary citizen. It can be a means of transportation, entertainment, sport, but also a way for the mind to travel.
Its wheel is a kinetoscope, like those that gave the first images to the cinema. It travels us, takes us through places and explores them, reminds us of stories.
This special side of him, his ability to get to know us places, to leave us with scents, was also the one that highlighted the sport of cycling, and especially road cycling, in an exciting sport and entertainment activity, in which hundreds of countries invest internationally.
Greece, the land of contrasts, colors, combinations and indelible historical moments now has its own grand Tour. We are all working hard on it and aim to take it even higher, and make it even stronger.
This year’s routes highlight the “eternal” Greece, the one that was sung in Homer’s epics and heard at the ends of the Earth.
What should I try?
For Psiloritis who stands proud in mother Crete?
Knossos with the Palace of Minos and Gortyna, centers of the Minoan civilization?
The Ideal Andros, birthplace of the mythical God Zeus?
The Mycenae of the legendary king Agamemnon, the cradle of Mycenaean civilization?
Ancient Tiryns with its cyclopean walls?
The imposing Taygetos, umbrella of the Messinian gulf?
The Venetian castles of Methoni and Koroni?
The irresistible Pylos and the Gulf of Navarino, where the victory of the Greek Revolution of 1821 was sealed?
The hill of Egliano and the palace of King Nestor?
Ancient Olympia, the center of Olympism?
And all these are just some of the indicative points of this year’s Round.
Myths, legends, traditions are mixed up in this year’s routes and each passage has its own story.
And all this tied to modern Greece.
Dedicated to the development of local communities.
The PPC Cycling Tour is not just a big sporting event.
It is a narrative, a journey through history, a tour of Greece, a bike ride, guided by the rich history of our country, which takes us into the past to reflect on the present and envision the future.
But it is also a sporting decentralization, an investment for the future of local communities.
The exposure from the television broadcast is invaluable and multi-dimensional, as the image goes to millions of households on the planet thus making local communities and Greece tourist destinations with direct economic benefits.
Very shortly, I will recall the truly unprecedented results of the recent Peloponnese University Research on the impact of the PPC Cycling Tour in 2022.
• the organization cost 2.2 million euros, of which 44% was covered by sponsorships, private organizations and advertisements.
• The total goodwill of the media promotion was estimated at 8.2 million euros.
• 95% of the public said that the race was an opportunity to get to know the bike better and get more involved with it,
• 94% of the public said they want to actively watch the next match in 2023,
• 98% of the public stated that the race significantly improved the image of our country abroad and upgraded us on the global cycling map,
• 72.4% of the public said that the race economically stimulated the areas it passed through and helped the local economies,
• 95% of the public said that the match sent a positive message to society and that it helped to highlight positive standards, principles and values ​​that improve the quality of life of citizens
• 93.7% of the public said that the race significantly strengthened citizens’ environmental awareness
With an eye on our next pedal, I want to assure that in each of our ventures, no matter how daring it may seem, our goal is to claim the above, the most, until we reach the perfect, which is our goal.
The PPC Cycling Tour continues to be a great challenge.
The goal is to compete in the biggest Tours in the world.”
Always next to the Deputy Ministry of Sports, the Hellenic Red Cross and Police
The event was also welcomed by the president of the Hellenic Red Cross, Dr. Antonios Avgerinos. Mr. Avgerinos, firmly alongside the actions of the Deputy Ministry of Sports, spoke on behalf of all the Volunteers, who are catalytic factors for the success of major sports events.
“We are proud to partner with the Deputy Ministry of Sports and especially with Mr. Avgenakis. Events like the PPC Cycling Tour of Greece take Greece forward. We are ready to support this year’s effort as well.”
In the person of the people of the Greek Police who contribute to the best possible conduct of the Race, the Deputy Minister of Sports, Lefteris Avgenakis, awarded six persons who last year were responsible throughout the Round for the escort and security of the peloton:
Police Officer – Anastasios Kaltsas (Athens Traffic Directorate)
Chief Warden – Konstantinos Tziotzias (Athens Traffic Directorate)
Chief Constable – Felemegas Georgios (Athens Traffic Directorate)
Deputy Warden – Ilias Roditis (Attica Direct Action Directorate, Athens-West DIAS)
Constable – Mitakis Konstantinos (Attica Direct Action Directorate, Athens-West DIAS)
Chief Constable Shehatis Nikolaos (Corfu Police Department / T.S.F.)
Brief greetings were addressed
• the Regional Governor of Western Greece, Nektarios Farmakis
• the Deputy Regional Governor for Sports and Energy of Peloponnese, Giorgos Oikonomou, representing the Regional Governor Panagiotis Nikas
• the Mayor of Heraklion, Vassilis Lambrinos
• the Mayor of Argos Mykines, Dimitris Kamposos
• the Mayor of Megalopolis, Athanasios Christogiannopoulos
• The Mayor of Kalamata, Athanastios Vassilopoulos
• The Mayor of Ancient Olympia, George Georgiopoulos
The racing profile of PPC Cycling Tour 2023
The Director of the Race, Vladimir Petsas, analyzed this year’s routes, the kilometers, the altitudes, the areas, while the member of the Organizing Committee, Vassilis Anastopoulos, explained the winners’ jerseys, revealed the teams that will participate and talked about his … 20-year anniversary since 2003 when he won the general classification in the Cycling Tour of Greece in Megalopolis.
More detail:
Prologue:
Karteros-Karteros, 8.1 km (78m altitude)
1st stage: Heraklion-Heraklion, 187.7 km (2,561m altitude)
– Sprint straight 1: km 81.6 / Tympaki
– Sprint straight 2: km 117.3 / Harakas
– Sprint climb 1: km 54.8 / “Cretaceous Jupiter” Theme Park
– Sprint climb 2: km 164.7 / Meleses
2nd stage: Mycenae-Kalamata, 178.3 km (1,825m altitude)
– Sprint straight 1: km 34.5 / Mills
– Sprint straight 2: km 79.9 / Tripoli
– Sprint climb 1: km 55.8 / Achladokampos
– Sprint climb 2: km 105.6 / Vigles
– Sprint climb 3: km 129.5 / Paradise
3rd stage: Costa Navarino-Kyparissia, 153 km (1,621m altitude)
– Sprint straight 1: km 28 / Finikounda
– Sprint straight 2: km 88.4 / Kalamata Airport
– Sprint climb 1: km 37 / Poros
– Sprint climb 2: km 133.2 / Kopanaki
4th stage: Costa Navarino-Ancient Olympia, 133.5 km (1,089m altitude)
– Sprint straight 1: km 32.2 / Marathopoli
– Sprint straight 2: km 85.4 / Zacharo
– Sprint climb 1: km 14.8 / Trifylias Tower
– Sprint climb 2: km 98.9 / Samiko
Video messages sent
– last year’s race winner Aaron Gate and
– the athlete of our National team Polychronis Tzortzakis
with their warm wishes for the success of the PPC Cycling Tour of Greece
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
