The Saimaa Cycle Tour is listed as one of the most prestigious cycling events in Europe
Press release 14 December 2021 | Saimaa Cycle Tour / SCT Events Oy
Epic Road Rides, an award-winning website for cycling travellers, has published a list of the best cycling events in Europe. The list ranks the Saimaa Cycle Tour, which was held for the first time only last summer, alongside the European cycling classics.
Epic Road Rides' list of Europe's best cycling events consists mainly of classics from the major cycling countries of Spain, France, Italy and the Benelux. The list includes many iconic mountain classics, such as La Marmotte from France, which is known as the toughest cycling event in the world, climbing to the top of the Alpe d'Huez, known from the Tour de France. Other famous events include the Stelvio Pass, known from the Giro d’Italia, the 105-year-old Tour de Flanders in Belgium and the Amstel Gold in the Netherlands. In the Nordic countries, the Vätterrundan from Sweden and the Saimaa Cycle Tour, which was first held in the summer of 2021.
The Saimaa Cycle Tour that will take place in 8-9 July 2022 is not a competition but more about challenging yourself as the event is open to cyclists of all levels, like all the cycling events on the Epic Road Rides list.
“The great thing about the Saimaa Cycle Tour is that everyone can set their own goals and challenge themselves to the best cycling experience of the summer. For some participants, it is enough to just beat themselves and finish 300 kilometres of cycling. Some participants set themselves a time target, while others just want to enjoy the ambiance of a summer night and the scenery of Lake Saimaa.”, says event manager Juho Suikkari.
The Saimaa Cycle Tour route starts from Imatra and travels via Lappeenranta, Taipalsaari, Savitaipale, Mikkeli, Puumala and Ruokolahti back to Imatra. The route will be different from the one cycled in summer 2021, and the route length will increase to 300 kilometres. The fastest teams will complete the route in around eight hours, while some cyclists will finish in 17-18 hours.
"If the main 300 km route of the Saimaa Cycle Tour sounds too long, shorter routes of 85 km and 38 km are also available. In addition, on Friday 8 July 2022, the children's bike ride will take place on the riverside of Vuoksi, which runs through the City of Imatra," Suikkari says.
More than 1000 cyclists from over 15 countries have already registered for the Saimaa Cycle Tour
At the beginning of December, more than 1 000 cyclists registered for next summer's event. The organisers are targeting between 2 000 and 2 500 cyclists on the shores of Lake Saimaa next summer.
"It has been great to see that the event has already reached cyclists from all over Finland in its first few years and we are expecting the participation to double next from last summer. The event was noticed around the world even before Epic Road Rides listing and participants have already registered from 15 different countries. The most distant participants come from as far away as Ecuador", continues Juho Suikkari.
Saimaa Cycle Tour acts as a showcase for cycling tourism in Finland
The Saimaa Cycle Tour organisation works in close cooperation with the towns and municipalities along the route and with the Visit Finland and the Go Saimaa tourism organisations.
"For event cities and municipalities, the event and its associated marketing will open the door to cycling tourism, which is worth more than 4 billion euros a year in Europe alone. Saimaa's unique lake scenery and well-maintained roads, as well as the slightly cooler summer weather of the north, will be competitive advantages in the future. In the years ahead, increasing numbers of potential cycling tourists will also open up new business opportunities, for example for bike rental and maintenance services in the Saimaa region," says Suikkari.
Additional information
Epic Road Rides list of 13 best cycling challenges in Europe 2022: sportives, gran fondos and more!
https://www.epicroadrides.com/cycling-blog/best-cycling-challenge-europe/
Press images
The Saimaa Cycle Tour press images are available for download at https://www.saimaacycletour.com/en/pages/press
Saimaa Cycle Tour
The Saimaa Cycle Tour is the creation of SCT Events Oy, founded in 2020 with the aim of becoming an internationally renowned cycling event and at the same time promoting the Saimaa region worldwide as a travel destination for cyclists.
The Saimaa Cycle Tour will take place in Imatra in July 2022. For more information about the event, please visit https://www.saimaacycletour.com
Press contact
Lieven de Rycke
Saimaa Cycle Tour
lieven@saimaacycletour.com
+358 40 820 3535