Photo: Every day in the field from home on a bicycle. The “Veloactive 2024” challenge has started

Today, the active cycling season and the virtual challenge competition “Veloaktivs 2024” organized by the association “VeloRonis” have opened in the city. This year, the cyclists will be able to individually collect the kilometers traveled in the challenge with several intermediate finishes until September 27.

139 participants have registered for the opening ride of the cycling season at four checkpoints. The goal for the season is 300, and the head of “VeloRoņa” Inga Krivcova is sure: “We will definitely reach it and maybe even more!”

Cyclists visited checkpoints individually, in families or in companies of friends in the order of their choice, and at the same time the supporters of “Veloaktiva” visited “Cafe Kubs” in Zirgu Island, Liepāja Olympic Center swimming pool and SPA, “KURTS coffee” and “Chili Pizza” in “XL Island”, receiving at each place the special bracelet. The end of the trip and the lottery – on the beautiful beach near the big letters “Liepāja”, where the participants arrived in the evening in a good mood.

“Emil wrote yesterday that it would be a very cool event and that I wouldn’t want to ride my bikes,” Markus tells how he got involved in “Veloaktivti”. “We go out quite often. I called my girl Alice and we drove. We drove here from the “Laumas” district.

Only at the Liepāja Olympic Center did we realize that we also needed an application.” Friends like to ride when it’s warm and when there’s time for it, because the boys are studying – Emil is a future economist, Markus will be a doctor. but Alice is a future student. You could certainly accumulate kilometers, because during the summer, friends will often ride bicycles.

“It was a good day!” – called a large group of cyclists of various ages. Children Jānis and Kortnija proudly show the wristbands they received at all four checkpoints, because they covered the entire distance. About 12 kilometers have been collected together, says Artis. “Sure, let’s ride the bike challenge,” Madara promises. Jānis is proud that he had already driven seven kilometers with his father the previous day.

“Veloaktivs” has started very well, Inga Krivcova assesses.

”The only problem is the technical side, because you need a virtual platform and connecting to apps, sometimes things don’t sync. Let’s learn, because last year everyone succeeded. If there is a problem, call or write, we will help!”

There was no joint start this year, and this was done on purpose, because the organizers wanted the participants to plan their own day off. “One wants to leave in ten, another only in two, in between you can sit down to eat pizza or drink coffee. This time we are making a joint finish with a beautiful picture, so that there is a feeling of togetherness,” says Inga.

After the end of the event, the members of “VeloRoņa”, as befits a winter swimming club, jumped into the sea and were surprised how much the water warmed up near the shore. You had to wade in search of a good seal swimming behind the shoal.

In order to collect the kilometers driven until autumn, on the website veloronis.lv you need to find the event “Veloaktivs 2024”, where you can read the regulations and register. “The goal is to cover a distance of up to 15 km in one activity every day, in the middle you can pause it in the app. The longest distance traveled per day or 15 kilometers will be counted. Our goal is to get you out of the house by bike every day.

It’s with the idea that we don’t get caught up in gambling, that we just drive and drive, there’s no time for anything else, because we want to drive even more and win. You also have to work hard to drive 15 kilometers around Liepāja in one go,” says I. Krivcova.

As usual, the cycling season will end with the “Night Cycle”, which will take place this year on September 27. “Let those who missed the opening of the season not be sad. You can also join later, throughout the summer, because you have to drive at least 200 kilometers every month and the participants will participate in the lottery at the end,” says Inga.

Contribution of the media support fund from Latvian state budget funds. The portal liepajniekiem.lv is responsible for the prepared content.