Search Results

… all these years

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/10631767

2019, Wilhelm S.’s, -from Swiss- first year’s impression and comments

Dear “Pepa”,

thank you for the Spartakiada 2019.

Especially the closing of the roads and at the crossroads for the riders was excellent. The race stewarts with the motorcycles were very helpful, too. Thank them from me.

But unfortunately you didn’t publish a ranking list for all drivers and as well no one for the categories (for example 60+). I am absolutely sure that most of the riders would value this – especially the riders who tried to be at the head of the race. And believe me it was a race, not only a nice tour.

I hope you will publish these rankings yet. Thank you very much.

Best regards
Dr. Wilhelm Siebert, Switzerland

Note: We did publish the results by Age Group, following his kind request!

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Steve’s short Testimonial for 2014 Spartakiada

I loved this sportive! Departing the Kallimarmaro stadium at dawn and riding out of Athens past the Parthenon is a wonderful start. Averaging 30kph plus as a moto-escorted peloton we reach the coast and head on smooth undulating highways 85km to Corinth. After a feed stop the peloton splits as we head past the ancient city of Mycenae and into the hills, each sizable group attracting a moto outrider. The climbs are smooth and not steep and the views well worth stopping for if scoring a good time isn’t high on the agenda. A fast swooping descent into Sparta completes the course which at 257kms and nearly 3.000m of climbing is a challenge worth aiming at and being in October extends the European season by just a few more weeks. The police close the roads as they see the splintered groups arriving and there is a fine welcome at the finish, sited at the edge of the ancient city itself. Yes, This Is Sparta. At last!

After thanking my fellow riders, I followed tradition and bent to kiss the shiny toe of the Leonidas statue which dominates the finish line. The inscription couldn’t be more apt: “Molon Lave” or “Come and Take”

By Steve. Brighton, 2014

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Another testimonial by Colleen McGuire in her Blog at

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SPARTAKIADA 2023 – 3^4th edition

The Race

“Spartakiada” is Greece’s greatest cycling sportive event, linking the two most important cities of ancient Greece, Athens & Sparta. In the ancient days professional messengers run the distance in two days, today we use bicycles to challenge our endurance and cover the distance between 8 to 12 hours!

The event is organized by the CYCLISTS UNION of VETERAN ATHLETS (Π.Ε.Π.Α.) It starts in front of one of the most attractive places in the capital city of Athens, the Panathenaic Stadium or “Kallimarmaron”, the athletic stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. “Spartakiada” finishes after 257 km in the city of Sparta, a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the Eurotas river of Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese, right in front of the King Leonidas of Sparta statue. You will be riding through the cities of Korinthos, Argos, Tripoli and the beautiful landscapes of South-East Peloponnese.

Event date:	September 16, 2023
Start:	Kallimarmaron Stadium
Finish:	Sparta
Distance:	257km
Climbs:	2.511m
Cut off time:	Max 12hrs Control points at Corinth (76 klm, 15minutes mandatory stop), Myloi (150 klm) and Tripolis (195 klm at 17:00)
Entry opening	01/03/2023
Entry closing:	Three days before the race
Categories:	Men (30-39), (40-49), (50-59), (60+), Women (25+)

 

Rules

• All participating athletes MUST provide a Medical Certificate-cardio exam no more than 3 months old- of their ability for Long Distance Cycling Racing
• Street racing bikes ONLY are allowed
• No aero bars, cameras, or other extra accessories are allowed
• Plastic fenders can be used in case of rain and only after technical inspection
• Within the first section Athens-Corinth, ALL participating riders will be riding as ONE Group. No breakaway is allowed as the peloton will be police escorted
• After the 1st stop in Corinth the peloton will be free to ride at their own pace following the START sign given by the Race Director
• In ALL three stops (Corinth, Myloi, Tripolis) each rider MUST get their card STAMPED or else they are disqualified and if they choose to continue -not as part of the race though- their cards are noted with the arrival time as OTL
• Losing the card during the ride, does not qualify the rider for the official results but he or she can continue to finish the race as DNF
• At the FINISH all finishers MUST RETURN their CARDS to record their arrival time
• Race numbers must be attached on the left AND right sides of the jersey (back pockets height)
• Race number on the bike is mandatory
• Race rules follow the International racing code. The same rules apply for dress code
• ALL riders must follow the Car Driving Code (no overtaking allowed when double line on the road, etc.)
• Any reckless riding may result to the expulsion of the rider from the race (DNF)
• Riders can apply for license to be followed by a Support Vehicle (must apply for license as First Come First Served)
• Vehicles supporting MORE THAN ONE rider get priority license depending the number of riders they service
• In case that a Support Vehicle does not have the official Support License Number the rider gets fined by the Officials
• All riders within the Time Limit to Finish Line will receive a commemorative medal
• All riders Over the Time Limit will receive a commemorative Diploma
• Race numbers for the P.E.P.A. members are the same that are used during the 2019 Championship Races

Registration

• Please fill in ALL data in the on-line form at : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ovxd1aJiZjFCydkLrz7FVUV2tWxGa9cXFIJFXxNwZV4

Costs

• Participation cost for P.E.P.A. members is 25 euros
• For ALL other participants is 90 euros
• Return cost of the bus for Rider and Bicycle (Sparta-Athens) is 30 euros and must be paid in advance together with the Participation Cost
• NO REFUND is possible for whatever the reason
• Payments can be done to our bank account using our bank’s details as follows:
  • NATIONAL BANK of GREECE
  • IBAN: GR6501100750000007500131292
  • Account number: 075/001312-92 SWIFT (BIC): ETHNGRAA

Time Table & Itinerary

16/9/2023 Saturday – Road Race

• 06:00 – Registration, card and race numbers delivery, Athens
• 06:30 – Technical inspection/control, Kallimarmaro
• 07:30 – Race start, Kallimarmaro
• 17:00 –  Tripolis cut-off
• 19:30 – Race finish (cut off time 12hrs), Sparta
• 18:00 – Free Dinner, Sparta local restaurant (place to be confirmed later in the year)
• 21:00 – Awards ceremony, Sparta Main Square or Stadium (depending the weather conditions)

17/9/2023 Sunday Recovery race (optional)

• 10:15 – “Xirokampi” 35klm (Sparta-Xirokampi gpx file: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28574060)
• 15:00 – Return journey to Athens (P.E.P.A. BUS only)

Statistics – Results

Based on 2016 event’s results.

• Best time 08:10 on an average speed of 30.49km/h
• Average time 09:44 on an average speed of 25.74km/h

Detailed route

• Athens “Kallimarmaro” – Zappeion – Syntagma sq. – Omonia sq. – Athens Av. – New Athens-Corinth highway – Corinth’s Isthmus – Old Corinth-Argos road – Myloi – Ahladokampos – Tripolis – Sparta (King Leonida’s statue
• GPX files and maps can be found at: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/10631767 where you can download the .gpx or .tcx (better) files

Details and Information

• Disqualification of a participating athlete for serious defects or irregularities at the Technical inspection (Athens) is automatically considered a foreclosure penalty as a DNS/DNF
•  All participants participate in the event at their own responsibility and P.E.P.A. has no liability for any potential accident as well as for wear or loss of racing material, clothing, etc.
• All participants give their consent to receive medical and pharmaceutical treatment in the event of injury, accident or illness during the event
• All participants give their permission to the use photos and videos taken during the event and related activities for any legitimate use by P.E.P.A. and sponsors of the event
• P.E.P.A. has the right to collapse / modify categories or the schedule and the itinerary of the event, for reasons of force majeure, if it is not possible to secure access for participating competitors at all points of the route (not sure what this means)
• It is forbidden for any reason to help the participant’s athlete’s movement during the event, such as pushing or towing / pulling the participating athlete by other means or an external agent in addition to his / her own physical strength
• No participant athlete has the right to express complaints or objections or to impede in any way the work of the jury and Officials. Objections may be submitted in writing and given to the Race Committee immediately after the event
• The eventual feeding / watering of the participating athlete on the Athens – Corinth’s Isthmus police escorted segment, in order not to interfere with his/her teammates, MUST take place at the end of the group, under the responsibility of the participating athlete
• Try to keep clean the nature and the host towns we go through. It is the duty and responsibility of all of us. Keep the nature clean. Pollution of the premises may result in a blocking penalty by the Race Committee
• For anything it is not included within this announcement, responsible are the Race Committee or The Technical Referee or the Race Director

REMINDER

• The use of helmet during the race is compulsory, but also in training (e.g. warm-up or track identification before and after the event)

2023 registration for International riders ONLY, is open (follow the link):
2023 INTERNATIONAL RIDER’s REGISTRATION FROM

34 years from the day that some “baskers” decided to go for a “long” ride!
From Athens to Sparta, via the mountains…
Via the presumed road that Phidipides took to bring the happy news to Spartans “The Persians are defeated!”
For 33 years Spartakiada was scheduled on the first weekend of October. This year though, due to the Municipal Elections scheduled for the 1st and 2nd weekends of October, we moved our event two week earlier. So, on the 16th of September 2023 we will take the same road to celebrate the 34th anniversary edition of this unique race …

Last minute instructions and info for the 34^th Spartakiada 2023

• Due to the high number of participants please make sure to be there early on with enough time to spend for the technical control too, so we will avoid any unnecessary delays
• The registration desk will OPEΝ at 06:30, and each participant must sign the Race Protocol and will receive an envelope that contains
  • their Racing Numbers
  • Race Card  
  • Food coupon for dinner to be used in one of the two restaurants of Sparta (“ΔΙΕΘΝΕΣ” or “ELYSSE”) These cards are limited to the number of the participant and you must not lose it
  • The Racing Card is used to record your passage and time from the Control Points as well as your finish time. At the finish line the Card will be scanned and must be signed by you
  • Racing Numbers MUST be placed on the back of the jersey left and right, exactly where the back pockets of the jersey are
• DON’T FORGET:
  • Follow the rules of the traffic code
  • Use of the helmet is compulsory for ALL participants
  • We ALL follow any instructions given by the traffic police officers
  • Driving in the opposite traffic lane or ignoring the double-traffic line leads to a foreclosure penalty
  • All participants are required to know the route
  • Traffic Police officers (ΕΛ.ΑΣ.) are not competent to indicate the correct route.
• Those who have request for a Support Vehicle must go to the secretariat to receive their car number, along with instructions, Saturday morning well before the start of the race. Any car without credential by P.E.P.A. will be escorted out of the race peloton, regardless of whether it is declared. Priority will be given according to the number of athletes that accompany and the type of car (e.g. jeeps, van)
• Support cars must be at least 50 meters behind the cyclists even after the “free” sign from the Commissaire is given after Corinth, throughout the race and without hindering the course of other athletes or the flow of traffic. Athlete hindrance from an support car leads to the supported athlete’s penalty
• Any athlete who needs a assistance from his/hers support car, should go to the back of the group, get what he/she needs from the support car, and then return to the group, or alternatively he/she takes what’s needed from a stationary position at the side of the road
• The event is subject to the regulations of the Hellenic Cycling Federation and any P.E.P.A. special rules for the race. Any violation of the regulations results in the penalties set (disqualification, fines, etc.)
• Support vehicles are obliged to pay the road tolls where applicable
• Repairing flat tire/s or any other mechanical fault, is the responsibility of participant. Neutral Service IS provided by P.E.P.A. but cannot assure with certainty the availability/position of the vehicle at any given time
• Water and Food supplies are provided free to all participants in the Control Points only
• Food/water will be provided ONLY to the athletes and not to their support teams or attendants
• Take care of garbage, do not pollute the route from where the event passes. Keep the environment clean!

CONTROL POINTS:

• The first supply stop will be in Corinth, @76km, shortly after the Isthmus Canal bridge (Google map LINK)
• In the town of Argos, the peloton will pass thru the main street of the city – to the left of the church – direction-> Nafplio (Google map LINK)
• The cyclists when arrive the Myloi (Mills) supply and control point must stop to stamp [probably get food and water too] their card and continue the race direction -> Tripolis
• At Tripoli control point is at the ΜΟΥΡΓΕΛΑΣ ΨΩΜΙ & ΚΑΦΕ (MOURGELAS Bread & Coffee) right after the train crossing and CLOSES at 17:00 (Google map LINK)
  • After 17:00 athletes arriving to the Tripolis control point, will be scratched from the race and MUST hand their race numbers to the race officials. If they want to continue their journey out of the official race they are on their own, and P.E.P.A. is not responsible for them
  • Alternatively, they can board the “broom” van of the race that will bring them to Sparta
• Arriving at the 235klm towards Sparta, follow the old road to the left, direction “VOUTIANI” and NOT the new road to the tunnels (Sellasia intersection). There will be signal marks on the tarmac (Google map LINK)
• The Sparta finish is located in front of the Municipal Stadium, @the king Leonidas statue (Google map LINK)
  

ATTENTION:

• Arriving at the finish point, you must immediately hand your card to the secretariat in order to scan and register your time with P.E.P.A.’s new QR system. So, be sure to keep your card clean for the camera to read the QR Code. You are solely responsible for correctly registering your arrival time and for that check your arrival time written on your Card before signing the card
• MEDALS:
  • Finishers who will not be present at the Medal Awards Ceremony will receive the commemorative medal of the 34th Spartakiada from the club’s office. No medals will be given delegates, friends, etc.
  • Those who did not finish in time (OTL) are entitled to a medal too at the medal awards ceremony

Welcome and we want you to have a GREAT RIDE!

Inquiries: info [at] pepa.gr ** Additional info (in Greek only): http://www.pepa.gr

There are a couple of opinions about Spartakiada …
… some call it a RACE…

… some call it a RIDE …

… some want it to be a Grand Fondo…

… for some is fast Brevet!

For the creators of this cycling journey is considered as the “jubilation of cycling”!

This is the reason that every finisher -even an OTL- is awarded a Finisher’s Medal and the participants in the P.E.P.A. Championship they ALL receive 10 points (if they compete in the P.E.P.A. Cycling Racing Championship) if the do finish within 12 hours from the start.

But as a participant from Suisse noted “it is not fair not to publish, at least, a results list by age group”. So there it is for the 33^rd Spartakiada 2022 (in .pdf format -download or open in a new Tab)

So some data:
* Registered athletes: 328
* Started: 321
* DNF: 12, and
– The Usual Alphabetical List
– The Age Groups List

Αυτό είναι ένα παράδειγμα σελίδας. Είναι διαφορετικό από ένα άρθρο γιατί παραμένει σε ένα μέρος και θα εμφανίζεται στην πλοήγηση (στα περισσότερα θέματα). Οι περισσότεροι ξεκινούν με μια Περί σελίδα που τους παρουσιάζει στους πιθανούς επισκέπτες. Μπορεί να λέει κάτι σαν αυτό:

Γεια σου! Είμαι ένας ταχυδρόμος με ποδήλατο την ημέρα, και ένας εμπνευσμένος ηθοποιός την νύχτα, αυτός είναι ο ιστότοπος μου. Ζω στην Αθήνα, έχω έναν υπέροχο σκύλο που τον λένε Έκτορα, και μου αρέσει να πίνω Mojito (Και να χορεύω στην βροχή)

…ή κάτι σαν αυτό:

Η XYZ Εταιρία ιδρύθηκε το 1971, και παρέχει ποιοτικά εργαλεία για μηχανικούς αυτοκινήτων. Η εταιρία βρίσκεται στην Θεσσαλονίκη, και εργάζονται πάνω από 2000 άτομα και προσφέρει στην τοπική κοινότητα.

Ως ένας νέος χρήστης WordPress, θα πρέπει να επισκεφθείτε τηνδιαχείρισή σας για να διαγράψετε αυτή την σελίδα και να δημιουργήσετε νέες για το περιεχόμενό σας. Καλή διασκέδαση!