Connect Lisbon to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, by bicycle, a journey of more than 6600 km. This is the goal of Jorge Cristóvão, a 53 years old athlete, who will begin the challenge “Lisbon2Baku” on April 10th with the support of the Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP – Comité Olímpico Português) and the BMW Group Portugal, as way to honour all the Portuguese athletes competing in the 1st edition of the European Games, that will take place in June in this Eastern European city.

This veteran of cycling will be arriving in Baku on June 10th, Day of Portugal, Camões, the Portuguese Language and Portuguese Communities, in order to accomplish the important mission of delivering the Portuguese National flag to Baku so that the Portuguese Olympic Team can carry it at the Opening Ceremony of the European games on June 12th

Besides transporting the National Flag from Lisbon to Baku, Jorge Cristóvão will also carry messages promoting the first edition of the European Games. The adventurous cyclist will have messages from the president of the Portuguese Olympic Committeto and from several European Olympic Committees in the locations where he will by passing through. These include the president of the European Olympic Committee, Patrick Hickey, while in Rome.

As part of this route Jorge will be stopping at the Spanish, French, Italian, Monaco, Greek, Turkish, Georgian and Azerbaijan’s Olympic Committees. The highlight will be the delivery of Lisbon’s Mayoral Letter, by António Costa to his counterpart in Baku, Hajibala Abutalybov.

This journey promises to be surprising and astonishing with many different challenges that may arise along the way that will pass through national roads, but also by some of the most remote places in Europe.
Over these 6600 km, Jorge Cristóvão will also spread the Olympic spirit throughout Europe and will deliver messages from COP to its European peers in all the different countries and European cities he will cross during his journey: Madrid, Monaco, Thessaloniki, Istanbul, Tbilisi and Baku.

BMW Portugal will provide a huge support to this adventure. BMW’s electrical bicycle will provide more comfort to the athlete and maximize the distance covered, reaching an average of 100/120 km daily.
On June the 10th, symbolic moment where Jorge Cristóvão will receive the Portuguese National Flag, together with the letters, handed in by COP’s President José Manuel Constantino and by Lisbon’s Mayor, António Costa, that he will deliver both to the presidents of the Olympic Committees and to the Mayor of Baku.

Follow this amazing journey here.

Pedro Sequeira Ribeiro
Marketing Director Comité Olímpico Português