Hellas Direct’s Post

On the way to his second Tour de France victory last year, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard was facing tough questions regarding his pace before he even arrived in Paris. How was he going so fast? How was it possible to be over seven minutes ahead of a cyclist of Tadej Pogačar's caliber? Some reporters even explicitly asked: "Are you cheating?". In 2023, Vingegaard completed the grueling 3-week, 3,401 kilometer competition at an average speed of 41.4 km/h (25.574 mph). Given cycling's deservedly bad reputation, it is perhaps understandable that exceptional performances like that still raise suspicions. As Statista's Felix Richter shows in the chart below, the Tour de France has not slowed down since the doping-infested years of the early 2000s. Whether that's due to super-fast carbon bikes, favorable routing or the use of performance-enhancing substances is a question the sport is not yet fully able to answer.

Discover the #transtat Living Labs: Kranjska Gora is located in the northwestern part of Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders, in the Julian Alps of Upper Carniola. The ski resort includes 14 ski lifts, 20 km of slopes for skiing and snowboarding and 40 km of cross-country skiing tracks. Sem Franci Petek, manager of the Planica Nordic Centre, talks about the added values brought by the stakeholder involvement process and the identified best practices, after one year of TranStat project and after the second international workshop held in Valmalenco! Interreg Alpine Space EUSALP INRAE UNIMONT (Università della Montagna) - Università degli Studi di Milano Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften alpS GmbH ecoplus. Niederösterreichs Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH Université Grenoble Alpes Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regione Lombardia University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons ZRC SAZU – Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Razvojna agencija Zgornje Gorenjske #climatechange #SustainableTransition #sustainabletourism #alpinespace #Interreg

This post is in honor of the “Ordinary Extraordinary” in all of us. I’ve been chasing a goal for a few years to run a Full (26.2 miles) or a Half (13.1 miles) Marathon on all 7 Continents…and this past week I finally did it by completing a Half Marathon in Chilean Patagonia. The goal began with chasing a Six Star (run all 6 World Marathon Majors (26.2)) which then grew to running on all 7 Continents. As a lover of travel, I’ve been to 42 countries so I thought “why not?!” So here I am, completing a goal, 10+ years in the making. 6 Majors + 7 Continents The Plan: (in no particular order) * Asia: Tokyo Marathon 26.2 * Europe: London & Berlin Marathon 26.2 * Australia/Oceania: Auckland/Coatesville Half 13.1 * Africa: Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) Half 13.1 * Antarctica: Antarctica Half 13.1 * South America: Patagonia Half 13.1 * North America: New York - Chicago - Boston 26.2 (& Conestee 50k) *ran an Ultra 50k to see if I could do it, did it, no need to do it again. Some races were heaven-on-earth perfect (Hello, Chicago!) Some races humbled me to my core (Boston) But all of the them gave me a deep sense of gratitude. Gratitude to be “able” in all sense of that word. Things I carry with me during each mile: * Set + Chase audacious goals * Be prepared to pivot but never stop * Always Think “Why Not Me!” * Deeply respect the joy and intensity of finding power in your own potential * Discipline.Discipline.Discipline So for now, I’m enjoying the feeling of achieving a hard-fought goal. And because I get asked a lot, what’s next?! As we await the pending confirmation of the 7th World Marathon Major - Let’s see if I have another 26.2 in me to capture that 7th Star in Sydney, Australia. #HowIHappy #OrdinaryExtraordinary #Runner #MindsetOverEverything 🏃🏼♀️💫🌎

Who are the key figures in Grand Tours cycling events publications? A systematic review of main themes Behzad Gholampour, Alireza Noruzi, Alireza Elahi, David Barranco Gil, Sajad Gholampour  #Grand_Tours #Tour_de_France #Giro_d_Italia #Vuelta_a_España. Bibliographic information: Gholampour, B., Noruzi, A., Elahi, A., Barranco Gil, D. and Gholampour, S. (2024), "Who are the key figures in Grand Tours cycling events publications? A systematic review of main themes", Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://lnkd.in/d8RFpWna

Orsa Grönklitt invests SEK 50 million This coming Spring, Orsa Grönklitt will begin the single largest investment in alpine skiing in the company's history. - The decision to realize this creates incredible joy and optimism for everyone in Grönklitt, says Johan Sares, CEO Orsa Grönklitt. SEK 50 million. This is how much Orsa Grönklitt will invest in the area where the former Orsa Rovdjurspark was located in Orsa Kommun. It is the single largest investment in alpine skiing in the company's history. The idea is that the area will have new slopes, a new Funpark, additional so-called "Funslopes", and play areas for smaller children. A new ski lift on the south side may also be built. - We see an extremely large potential in Orsa Grönklitt, but we need to improve the alpine product. Now that we have access to the land of the former Orsa Rovdjurspark, this investment feels right in our ambition to continue developing Grönklitt. There remains a lot of planning and work, but it is inspiring for everyone that the decision is made, says Göran Bronner, owner and group CEO Orsa Grönklitt, in a press release. This project will begin in the spring/summer of 2024 and continue for two years. The hope and plan is that skiing will be made possible in the area as soon as the winter season 2024/2025. #investindalarna #visitdalarna https://bit.ly/4cxQtto

The Athens Marathon attracts runners from around the world who come to experience the historic course and be part of one of the most iconic races in the running community. Mass gatherings (MGs), like marathons, represent significant challenges for the host cities' public health and safety sector. A recent study published in PDM explored how inter-organizational knowledge transfer among government agencies and private companies at the 2018 #Athens Marathon was perceived among the multiple health and safety professionals during the planning stage of the event. The findings suggest that inter-organizational knowledge transfer was a challenge, and the authors recommend three mechanisms facilitating this procedure: experiential learning, codified knowledge, and face-to-face interaction. Read the full-text article here - https://lnkd.in/gJbrbNVG. #MassGatherings #PublicHealth #Marathons #KnowledgeTransfer

Last weekend, LangLeven’s Founder/ managing partner Annick-Isabelle Marcoux and General partner Leonard B.C. Schlemm — both accomplished athletes I look up to — competed in a Hyrox Race held in Toronto. 🏆 What’s most impressive isn’t just their winning of the mixed double competition, earning them a spot at the 2025 Worlds championships, but their decision to step outside familiar grounds — and devote resources needed to successfully navigate the unknown. Rather than sticking to disciplines they've mastered like cycling and marathon running, they chose to tackle an event pushing their perceived physical and mental limits in new territories. Their willingness to embrace the unknown is a powerful reminder of how important it is to continually challenge ourselves—regardless of age or experience. The commitment to shock our comfort zone is what keeps us sharp, focused, and healthier for the long run. A true lesson in growth and longevity. 🚀 Inspired ? 👉 Here are challenges that will surely test your limits : https://lnkd.in/eS_uJw9Y #longevity #inspiration  #keeponchallenging 

🏃♂️ What do you learn when training for the Athens Classic Marathon? 1️⃣ Patience & Perseverance: The journey is not just kilometers; it’s a path of endurance. 2️⃣ Discipline: Each training session is a small step toward self-improvement. 3️⃣ Team Spirit: Runners, friends, and spectators become part of the effort. 💡 I’m seriously considering preparing to run next year. Because every marathon is a metaphor for life: filled with goals, challenges, and the indescribable finish line! 🏅 #MarathonTraining #AthensMarathon #LifeLessons

Something must be done …

📣 Our September blog post is a must read story about South Park's bike trails! This special post, written by Jonathan Kersting, shares the beautiful connection he has to biking in the parks. https://lnkd.in/ee87gSiE