On August 28th, the legendary competition L'Étape Romania by Tour de France, which started from the area of the Palace of Parliament, offered cyclist an experience of a lifetime, on closed boulevards of Bucharest. Amateur and professional cyclists entered the competition, racing on three routes developed by specialists, one of them being dedicated to children over 10 years old.

The first edition of L'Étape Romania by Tour de France represented a great achievement for the community of cycling enthusiasts, and succeeded in placing Romania on the international map of cycling. Participants and supporters alike enjoyed the unique mix between the competitive experience offered by the Tour de France brand and the atmosphere of a cycling festival.

The event included three races for all abilities: City Adventure - 14 km, open to all participants aged over 10 years old, The Ride - 42 km and The Race - 85 km. Out of the 1,350 competitors who raced in a traffic-free Bucharest, 270 were registered for the 14 km race, while the other two more competitive races, The Ride of 42 km and The Race of 85 km, gathered more than 1,080 cyclists at the start line.

Most of the time the journey is more exciting than the destination. For the competitors, the time recorded at the finish line is perhaps more important, but for us, those who give life to the event, the experience offered to those present matters a lot. It was a first edition full of challenges, but the whole MPG team had the mission to honor the promise made 25 years ago to create Joy through sport. On Sunday we also experienced the emotion of each start in the competition and we enjoyed the smiles of those who reached the finish line, eager to receive the symbolic medal present in 20 countries hosting this competition. Now we can say that we are part of the great Tour de France family and we hope that next year's edition will lead as many riders as possible to conquer special routes specific to this legendary competition

Tudor Ștefan MOCUȚA, CEO MPG România, organizer of L'Étape Romania by Tour de France.

The first edition of L'Étape Romania by Tour de France meant thousands of hours of teamwork, over 300 volunteers and 80 referees, over 100 security vehicles on the day of the race, 425 secured intersections, over 5,000 of fences and safety elements and just as much determination to give all cycling enthusiasts a memorable experience.

Winners, stats, tradition & legend:

The famous Yellow jersey, a symbol of victory, excellence and determination was won this year by Eduard Grosu and Maria Ecaterina Stancu, the champions of the edition, on the 85 km race.
The best male/female time on the SPRINT section (300m) determined the winners of the Green jersey, a mark of daring, speed and explosiveness. They were Eduard Grosu, who covered the distance in 17 seconds and Miriam Stan, who recorded a time of 20 seconds.
Passion is built over time. To reward the fastest junior riders aged between 15-18 years, the White jersey was handed out to Cătălin Luca Câmpean and Raissa Costea, winners on the 85 km race.
Cyclists aged 10 to 83 years old accepted our invitation for the first edition of L'Étape Romania.
In order to preserve the tradition that carries this legendary brand around the world, the Tour de France Museum was set up in the Race Village, with the help of A.S.O., the international organizers of the event. Those present could discover projections dedicated to the history of the Tour de France and top riders, but also symbolic exhibits that make the Tour de France so special.
Several stars also took part in the competition: Ana Maria Brânză, Virgil Stănescu and Roxana Ciuhulescu, as well as Eduard Novak, the Minister of Sports, registered for the 85 km race.
At the start of The Ride of 42 km and The Race of 85 km, we had the honor of having with us Mrs. Laurence Auer, the Ambassador of France in Romania, who encouraged the cyclists and welcomed the organization of the legendary event in our capital.

Discover all the results on the official website.