September 11, 2019 - The International Road Cycling Tour of Montenegro 2019, organized by the Cycling Federation of Montenegro and sponsored by the Ministry of Sport, awaits us this weekend, from 13 to September 15.
The two-day competition includes two races "Grand Prix Kotor - Lovcen 2019", which is also the national championship of Montenegro in road cycling, and the traditional, third, one-day cycling race "Trophy Kuchi 2019".
The Tour of Montenegro 2019 will feature over 100 competitors from fifteen European countries, including England, France, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, as well as the hosts of Montenegro. The organizer accepted the participation of a total of 12 teams with 70 competitors. Given that the race is also open to individual competitors, this figure will undoubtedly exceed the expected 100 cyclists at the start of the Tour of Montenegro 2019.
"The teams that will fight to win this year's Tour of Montenegro 2019 are coming from the region and the other European countries. TBW23 Stuart Hall Cycling Team from the UK is coming back after participating last year's international race Trophy Kuci 2018. Two teams are coming from Slovenia- the Bled Cycling Club and the Kranj Cycling Club. Roda - Sisak Cycling Club is representing Croatia, and from Bosnia and Herzegovina come two clubs - Herzegovina Team Mostar and Cycling Club Zmaj od Bosne - Tuzla. The units of the Partizan - Belgrade Cycling Club and the CCN Metalac Rolling Stone - Kraljevo Cycling Club come from Serbia, and the Velo M Termalift - Kumanovo Cycling Club team from Macedonia. The UVT Devron West Cycling Team will represent Romania from Timisoara. We have two teams from our country - the Montenegrin National Team and a joint team of two Montenegrin cycling clubs, called Mix Team Džada - MFR Tempo," race director Sinisa Milidrag tells TMN.
The race will feature several national champions, with the most notoriously reported name being Dusan Rajovic. Until recently a member of the Slovenian Continental team Adria Mobil, Rajovic will ride next year for the French Pro Continental team Delko. At the Race Tour of Montenegro Rajovic will play in the jersey of the parent club CCN Metalac from Kraljevo.
The winner of last year's two-day bike race on Montenegrin roads "Trophy Kuci 2018", a member of the Macedonian Cycling Club Velo M Termalift, Andrei Petrovski, as well as two Slovenian national team members from Kranj, participants of the upcoming World Championship, will participate in the "Tour of Montenegro 2019".
"When it comes to the Montenegrin national team, we expect the best performance by Danilo Vukcevic and Demir Mulic, to be supported by the other members of the national team- Radosav Bezmarevic, Dragan Jasovic, Slobodan Milonjic, and Milos Vracar," says Sinisa Milidrag, noting that in addition to teams, individual competitors will perform.
The ceremonial opening of the "Tour of Montenegro 2019" cycling race is on September 13 at the Main City Gate in Kotor, starting at 2 pm.
On the same day, own chronometer on the route Kotor - Trojica - Krstac, in the category of seniors, juniors, juniors, and masters, in the men's and women's competition, runs in the race "Grand Prix Kotor - Lovcen 2019" and the national championship of Montenegro. 22 km long, starting at 4 pm
On the second day of the "Grand Prix Kotor - Lovćen 2019" cycling race, on September 14, a circular track, 30 laps, in the total length of 100.5 km, takes place in the Kotor Industrial Zone. The start of the second day of the primary race "Grand Prix Kotor - Lovcen 2019" is at noon. Also, on the same track, starting at 10 o'clock, there will be a road championship of Montenegro, in the men's and women's competition, in the categories seniors, juniors, juniors, masters, cadets, junior cadets, and pioneers.
On the next day, September 15, the program "Trophy Kuči 2019" will take place, which will be driven in the first part by the vineyard of the Plantaze company "13. July" and then to the Kuca Gorge, totaling 108 km. The opening is at 10 am, while the race start is scheduled for 11 am.
The organizers of the International Road Cycling Tour of Montenegro 2019 point out that the primary goals of organizing this prestigious international cycling event are the promotion of Montenegrin sport and its potential to athletes from fifteen European countries, as well as the promotion of cycling in Montenegro. It will be an opportunity for Montenegro to be once again promoted and internationally recognized as a tourist and sports destination. Next year, the Tour of Montenegro will be on the international cycling calendar, when it is expected to attract even more competitors, especially from Western Europe.
