On the occasion of the Coast Day and the World Car Free Day on September 23, 2018, Sunce, in cooperation with PAP-RAC, organized the 7th Split Bicycle Race. The weather gave its last summer charms to the first day of autumn. Bearing in mind the schedule of Hajduk’s matches, we decided that the best time to start is at 16:00. 120 enthusiastic cyclists came to the start about 30 minutes earlier to register and fill out the surveys we have prepared. The aim of the survey is to find out what opinion and perception of the situation in Split and on the roads of Split our citizens who cycle in Split have. The main intention of the action is to draw citizens’ attention to the problem of car transport and increase the sensitivity of the public to the problem of air pollution in large cities and to offer alternative urban transport.
All cyclists received free raffle tickets as well as buffs that they can use for various purposes. The bike ride started at 16:00 in front of the Banovina, accompanied by the police and a Sunce volunteer who drove the route and was available for possible complications in the directions. Along with them, we were supported for the first time by volunteers from the Health School Split who, in addition to surveying at the start, were also proud stewards and guides on the route so that everyone could reach the finish line safely. The ride passed peacefully along the coast around Marjan, suitable for marking the Coast Day. After a 10 km easy route, the cyclists reached their destination. It took those more experienced only half an hour to reach the finish line, but even the slower ones didn’t lag much. After everyone was refreshed, a fun and never richer program began in Đardin. The sounds of the Klapa klapa drums warmed the hearts of everyone present in Đardin, because in addition to cyclists, there were also many visitors to the Coast Day program. Upon completion of the first set of the Klapa Klapa, all participating cyclists prepared their raffle tickets to try their luck and win one of the many prizes we provided them. There were cycling gadgets, dinners, movie tickets, kayaking, massage and Zip line, and a backpack and helmet as the main prize.
Along with another music block, we came to a bicycle alka. The applicants switched to the track in front of our Grgur ninski and, accompanied by drums, shot “in the middle”. Here we have secured a few more rewards for the happier ones. After tied first places and prizes, our former employee and organizer of the Split Bicycle Races last year, Jakša Božanić deservedly took this year’s title of the best alkar of the bicycle race and won 2 Split Sea Kayak tours and a bicycle helmet. The entire program lasted until 21:00 with a Pub quiz in the cafe bar of the Art Gallery.
We hope that you had a good time as we did, that you will attend this traditional Split event in the coming years and that our joint engagement will ensure the right cycling infrastructure to ensure the safety of cyclists and other road users in the first place. See you next year!