Campaign to encourage Bulgarians to ride bicycles
Bulgarians are being encouraged to take part in cycling tour events in Sofia and Plovdiv on April 10 2016 as part of a campaign to encourage the use of bicycles in cities.
The campaign, entitled “I ride a bicycle, follow me” has recruited a large number of endorsements from Bulgarian celebrities including singers, musicians, sports people and television personalities.
A news conference was held in Sofia on April 5 involving bicycle manufacturing and sales companies, the Sofia municipality and the Netherlands embassy, whose ambassador Tom van Oorschot is a regular cyclist.
“I ride a bicycle, follow me” is a social campaign aimed to promoting cycling in the city as a path to a healthy lifestyle, in the hope that this will become part of the daily lives of more people in Bulgaria.
According to the campaign’s website, Bulgaria ranks worst in charts as a nation where people do not do sports, are ill and obese. Seventy-eight per cent of Bulgarians do not do any form of sport, according to the website.
“Paradoxically, Bulgaria is the fourth country in the EU in the production of bicycles, but the bottom of the list when it comes to cycling in the city or as a sport.”
The campaign has recruited the celebrities as “new ambassadors of the bicycle” and is holding the large-scale cycling events for all ages in Sofia and Plovdiv on April 10.
In Plovdiv, registration for the event is between 10.30am and 11am on Suedinenie Square, with the tour starting at 11am and following a route through the city. A music show and raffle with prizes for participants in the cycling tour follow from noon to 2pm.
In Sofia, registration is from 10.30am to 11am at the square outside Alexander Nevsky cathedral, the cycling tour starts at 11am and a music programme and raffle follow from noon to 2pm.
In five Bulgarian cities, there will be events in April and May in which the celebrities will take part and visitors to the events will be able to test-ride bicycles.
In Sofia, the event is on April 9 from 10.30am to 5pm in South Park. In Bourgas, it is on April 16 and 17 from 10am to 5pm at the Flora Bourgas exhibition centre. In Varna, the event is on April 23 and 24 from 10am to 5pm at the Pantheon in Varna Sea Garden, and in Plovdiv, it is on May 14 and 15 from 10am to 5pm at the city’s Rowing Canal.
For more information, please visit the campaign’s website (in Bulgarian only).
