Olympic Committee of Portugal celebrate Inaugural European Games with sponsored cycle journey from Lisbon to Baku

Jorge Cristóvão bids farewell to the gathered crowd as he sets off on his journey from Lisbon to Baku ©Baku 2015

Portugul's Jorge Cristóvão has begun his near 7,000 kilometres cycle from Lisbon to Baku, which will see the adventure athlete promote the 2015 European Games along the way.

Baku 2015 set an innovative challenge last year to develop a promotional strategy for the European Games, with invitations to the Opening Ceremony on offer for the best proposal.

The winning idea was “Bike to Baku”, which has now been brought to life by the Olympic Committee of Portugal (COP) in the form of “Lisbon2Baku”.

Cristóvão started his journey across the breath of the continent at the Portuguese capital’s Torre de Belém.

A ceremony marking the occasion was attended by more than 100 people, including athletes and coaches who will represent Portugal in Baku, National Sport Federation representatives, and Cristóvão’s family and friends.

The 53-year-old was given the Portuguese flag by the COP’s Chef de Mission, José Garcia, to whom he will return it when he arrives in Baku on June 10, two days before the Opening Ceremony.

He was also presented with the electric bike that he will ride, while COP President, José Manuel Constantino, handed him letters addressed to National Olympic Committee (NOC) Presidents of the countries he will visit on his route to Baku.

Jorge Cristóvão was given the Portuguese flag by the Portuguese Olympic Committee's Chef de Mission, José Garcia ©Baku 2015

Cristóvão will deliver the letters from Constantino and Simon Clegg, chief operating officer of Baku 2015, to the NOCs of Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, as well as the European Olympic Committees headquarters in Rome, and the Olympic Museum in Thessaloniki, Greece.

They will encourage the other NOCs to participate in the European Games with their best athletes, thereby promoting the event throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

“We are delighted to see the Bike to Baku idea come to life through the Lisbon2Baku initiative,” said Clegg.

“Jorge’s journey will contribute to raising awareness of the inaugural European Games across the continent, and is a great example of the enthusiasm that Baku 2015 is inspiring amongst National Olympic Committees in Europe.

“We look forward to welcoming Jorge to Baku in June, and wish him the best of luck on his travels.”

At the end of the ceremony, the new Mayor of the City of Lisbon, Fernando Medina, gave Cristóvão a letter addressed to the Baku Mayor, Hajibala Abutalybov.

The entire journey can be followed through the official Lisbon2Baku website by clicking here, as well as through the COP’s social media channels on Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.