The Sun Trip Europe 2021 is a tour of Europe on solar-powered bikes, which spans from June to September. Fifty amateur cyclists take part in the race, which will stop in more than 33 European countries. On 11 and 12 June, the participants will pass through Wallonia (Liège & Namur), before reaching Brussels, Flanders and the rest of Europe in turn. Come and support these environmental-transport ambassadors in an adventure that combines sport, technology and, above all, people! Ten-thousand kilometres on a saddle, with no assistance, to discover the diversity of our continent from a new angle.
The first leg of this global race started on 1 June in Lyon and will end in Brussels in ten days, after covering 1,000 kilometres. The official start of the race will sound in our capital on 15 June and it will come to an end next September. Created in 2013, this is the fourth edition of the European cycling rally.
The 10,000 kilometre course is open-ended, except for five stages that the participants must undertake to validate their journey: Riga (Latvia), Constanța (a Romanian city on the Black Sea), the Stelvio Pass in Italy, the impressive road leading to the Pico de Veleta in Spain (the summit of which reaches 3,398 metres) and Porto in Northern Portugal. It will last between 30 and 90 days, depending on the participants.
As a result, cyclists will cross Europe on solar-powered bikes, either alone or in pairs. The batteries of these bikes are powered by solar panels, which cyclists can install according to their tastes: overhead for some, on the luggage rack, or even on a trailer for others. There is only one must: ingenuity.
The Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) and Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI) support this community-building event, which centres on an environmentally friendly message. The trial shows that it is possible to develop electrical bikes that are completely autonomous and able to produce their own energy from a renewable source, that is, sunlight.
The project also aims to support the European Green Deal and to promote the European Union as a place of peace and liberty. In addition to athletics, it also aims to be inclusive, since it is accessible to everyone. Sport, equal opportunities, environmentalism and humanism: these are open-minded values that are important for the Wallonia.be brand, which is delighted to support this wonderful adventure.
