About B-HARD: www.bhardultrarace.com
In June 2019, I was happily invited by fellow endurance cyclist and fanatic TCR dotwatcher Nikica Atlagic. A native of Banja Luka, his goal was to set up an equivalent of HARDCRO (ultracycling tour of Croatia) within his wonderful country of Bosnia Herzegovina. Bosnia is not a cycling destination as famous as the Dolomites or Mallorca. But from what I had seen during the TCRno6, it had a great potential. Lots of mountains, some above 2000m, decent road surface, a warm climate, a welcoming population and this feeling to be « off the beaten path ».
So when Nikica invited me to the premiere edition of his race, I was enthusiastic right away. Our contacts were very friendly, and I was amazed by his very professional approach of the race. As a web designer, he managed to create an appealing brand identity. As a cyclist he chose the best possible checkpoints with a lot of elevation. As an organiser he handled everything in detail so that the participants could focus more on riding, and less on administration.
On the day of my arrival, Nikica welcomed me at Banja Luka Airport (direct flights from Charleroi and Berlin). He had arranged an appartment that I would share with a fellow racer from Ukraine. He also gave me a local SIM card to avoid expensive roaming costs. Finally, I was completely briefed in fluent English about the tricky points in the GPX track. As we were going for the 1000km ACP brevet, certain checkpoints were important to reach on time.
I was happy to arrive 2 days early, so I could get used to the climate, visit the city and rest before the start. Banja Luka is a laid back city in the North of BiH. Catholic churches, orthodox temples and mosques share the skyline peacefully. The area is covered in lush vegetation and water is their common treasure. Local food consists in ‘cevapi‘ (kind of tasty kebab in Turkish bread) and ‘burek‘ (salted meat pie). Both are very helpful if you plan on cycling long distances in Bosnia! Everything is ridiculously cheap (divide everything by 2 at least, compared to Western Europe).
I felt pretty safe in Bosnia, both in the cities and on the road. It’s true that cars and trucks keep little distance from cyclists. But the Bosnians are generally assertive and good drivers. They are not as distracted or frustrated as the drivers I come across in Brussels every day. One progress that would be welcome: less polluting cars. One third of the cars literally produces grey smoke. And that’s quite a pity in such a pristine country.
Before the start of the race, Nikica took me on a short 85km ride around Banja Luka. Views were magnificent and we had pretty good tarmac. We ended with pictures at the refreshing Krupa waterfalls and an ice cream with chocolate and apple topping at café Buk, near the Vrbas river. Everything was in place for a nice start on Thursday 13th of June. Except the weather forecast: three days of temperatures above 35 degrees, very exceptional in Bosnia. That was my major concern. Let’s wait and see…
INCLUDED IN MY B-HARD REGISTRATION PACKAGE:
- Local SIM card
- Welcome pack from the Banja Luka tourism office
- Beverages at every check point (bananas, energy bars, power drinks, water)
- Two warm meal vouchers
- Accommodation arrangements (sports hall in Ljubuski, appartment in Visegrad)
- Full insurance for during the race
- Photographer and team car following the racers
- Curated GPX track going through the most scenic places in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Medal and certificate
- Finisher’s ceremony in a palace in Banja Luka
Sebi Cicleta 