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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-02-19
CONTENTS
[01] 'Olympia to Beijing' bike ride
[01] 'Olympia to Beijing' bike ride
Two Greeks, 21-year-old Danae Tezapsidou and 32-year-old Vassilis
Mesitidis, will be among the team of cyclists that will attempt a bike
ride from ancient Olympia to Beijing via the so-called "silk road" in
order to highlight the 2008 Olympic Games in China.
The ride begins at ancient Olympia on Wednesday and participants hope
to arrive in the Chinese capital on Aug. 8, the day when the Beijing
Olympics begin, after traversing a distance of some 12,000 kilometres.
The two Greek nationals will be part of a team of 12 cyclists, among
them four women, whose other members hail from Poland, Lithuania, Italy
and the United States. The idea originated with a team of cyclists in
Poland and was organised under the auspices of the Polish Olympic
Committee.
The countries they intend to cross on their route include Turkey,
Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and much of China. Each member of the group will travel at his or her
own pace but gather at a meeting point each night, where they will camp
before continuing their journey, thus covering roughly 100 kilometres a
day.
Caption: Greek riders Danae Tezapsidou (L) and Vassilis Mesitidis (R)
on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008. ANA-MPA / STR
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