Greetings to the participants of V4 Bicycle Race
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Cyclists,
In 2021, the Visegrad Group celebrated the thirty anniversary of its founding and in 2022 has started 4th decade. We still continue to promoteour togetherness and readiness to make Central Euroean region more fair and competitive. I am very happy that the Visegrad Bicycle Race has been encouragingthese two values in a field of cycling for a long time.
Please allow me to express my gratitude to the V4 cycling federations for thein efforts to organize the race that encourages relations among the Visegrad Countries.
I appreciate the generous support of the International Visegrad Fund in this respect.
Let me wish good luck to all participants involved in this year´s race. I hope the race will show again the natural spirit of cooperation within the countries of the Visegrad region.
Jakub Kulhánek, MA
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Patron of the V4 Bicycle Race in Czech Republic
Dear Riders,
I am pleased to extend my patronage, once again, over this flagship sports event organised by the cycling federations from the Visegrad Group (V4) countries, especially as Poland recently (until June 30th, 2021) held the rotating presidency of the Visegrad Group.
I would like to thank the organisers of this year’s edition of this Central European race, and all those who have made this endeavour possible, for their valuable contribution to this dimension of regional cooperation.
The V4 Bicycle Race embodies the spirit of cooperation and friendship between Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia – the four partners who have much in common, share values and goals. I’m convinced that the Visegrad 4 Bicycle Race as a sport event has an important role to play in strengthening dialogue between our societies and in enhancing people-to-people contacts which are prerequisites to good-neighbourly relations and mutual understanding. I am also glad that this Race offers the opportunity to promote our four countries as attractive tourist destinations.
As Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, I would like to wish all Racers every success and luck in this special regional competition, in the spirit of V4 partnership. I also wish all participants and spectators a lot of joy in discovering our splendid regions!
Zbigniew Rau
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Patron of the V4 Bicycle Race in Poland
Dear Visitor!
The trials of the past few years have transformed our lives in an almost unprecedented way. Our daily activities, our relationships, our living and working conditions have changed almost overnight. The power of togetherness, of belonging together, has been enhanced, from the smallest unit in society, the family, to relations between countries and nations. In its more than thirty years of modern history,the Visegrad Four (V4) group has proved time and again to the disbelievers the importance and,more importantly,the viability of cooperation along common denominators.
The Hungarian course of the V4 Bicycle Race, which is held as the opening event of the V4 Presidency year and which is growing in popularity every year,traditionally starts in Budapest and finishes in the thousand year old town of Pannonhalma. The 9th edition of this sporting event,supported by the Visegrad Fund,will also offer a glimpse of our cultural heritage and tourist attractions through sport.
In addition to the stunning scenery, the sporting value of the event is also huge, as the competitors will be able to earn Olympic qualification points - an opportunity for 176 athletes from more than 20 countries.
I wish all participants a successful race and a great performance!
Tamás Menczer
State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Patron of the V4 Bicycle Race in Hungary