The bicycle caravan of friendship “Mostar – Vukovar 2017” departed from Mostar in BiH and will spend 5 days and travel 420 km long road in order to pay tribute to the victims in Vukovar in Croatia.
The leader of the caravan Mario Maric said that it all started in 2012 when he came up with the idea of paying tribute to the soldiers killed in the Borovo village. At that time, only three of his friends joined.
He adds that in 2012, he and his three friends drove to Vukovar, and in 2013 they decided to do something more massive. Five years later, there are 40 participants in the caravan.
What is special for this race is that the oldest participant of the bicycle caravan is more than 50 years old and that six women participate in the caravan.
The cyclist was welcomed by the president of the Sports association of City of Mostar Hasan Sisic, saying that the friendship caravan is the event supported by the Sports association.
“We recognize the value of this event, to go to Vukovar and pay tribute to the people who gave their lives, is worth of attention. We hope that the event will continue in the following years and that all cyclists will join and go to Vukovar…,” said Sisic at the gathering prior to the departure.
The event is organized by the Association for the promotion of cycling “Hercegovina Bicycle” and the Bicycle Club Mostar, whose president Toni Zoric said that their aim is to connect the two cities that were hit by the war.
“We want to link the two wartime battered cities, whose destiny has changed as a result of war events. We wish to make the warning that we should never forget what happened and convey it to the generations that come,“ said Zoric.
After arriving in Vukovar, the caravan will participate in marking the 26th anniversary of the murder of 12 Croatian officers in Borovo village.
(Source: Xinhua/ photo prozor-rama)