The Tour of Lake Ohrid is an annual cycling race held in Macedonia and Albania. It's a lap of 103 kilometres around the Lake Ohrid, the second largest lake in the Balkan.
The race begins in the Macedonian town of Ohrid, also known as the Jerusalem of the Balkan. Ohrid and its lake are Unesco Cultural and Natural Heritage. It derives its cultural status and nickname from the fact that the town once had 365 churches, on...
Read moreThe Tour of Lake Ohrid is an annual cycling race held in Macedonia and Albania. It's a lap of 103 kilometres around the Lake Ohrid, the second largest lake in the Balkan.
The race begins in the Macedonian town of Ohrid, also known as the Jerusalem of the Balkan. Ohrid and its lake are Unesco Cultural and Natural Heritage. It derives its cultural status and nickname from the fact that the town once had 365 churches, one for every day of the year. The riders start on the boulevard of Goce Delchev, under the shadows of the best known church of Ohrid, the Church of St. John the Theologian, and head west on the A3 highway.
After 25 kilometres, the riders pass the town of Struga at the northernmost part of the lake. Here, they cross the Black Drin river, which serves as the only outlet of the lake. after 15 more kilometres, the riders cross the Macedonian-Albanian border for the first time.
The 52 kilometres from Struga to Pogradec, on the southern shore of the lake, are relatively easy, with the only danger being the wind. The lake offers almost no protection from the wind, so strong winds sometimes shatter the bunch at this point. The riders pass through Pogradec with its many castles, and after 5 kilometres they pass the border for the second and last time.
Crossing the border brings the riders in the Galichica National Park, were the Galichica mountain towers above them. The road remains flat however for another thirty kilometres, untill the village of Pestani. After Pestani there are two hills which form the last possibility for a breakaway. The first, the Elshani, is the easiest with an elevation of 86 metres in 1,2 kilometre. The average gradient of the Gorno, 9,5% over almost two kilometres, will pose a more serious problem for the sprinters. However, the last fifteen kilometres are flat, so the finish on the Promenade Macedonia is usually a mass sprint.
