Team Bahrain Merida training on picturesque roads of Hvar island

Friday, 20^th December 2019 – From 10^th to 20^th of December Team Bahrain Merida riders and staff were hosted on the scenic Mediterranean island of Hvar in Croatia, where they planned the last strategic details and training for the upcoming season.

In the last few days, the team’s management and staff have been planning and preparing all the necessary details for the upcoming season, which will start in Australia in January. In the meantime, the team’s riders have been enjoying amazing views while training on the idyllic roads of island Hvar. This last training camp has also been a great opportunity to welcome and get to know some newer members of the team.

Vladimir Miholjević, sports director at Team Bahrain Merida commented “We are very satisfied because what we planned ahead of this training camp was completely fulfilled. We believe that we have done a very good job, that will turn out in brilliant results in the upcoming season. Like the last years, we are also very thankful for the great hospitality, atmosphere, and conditions that we found there”.

“In fact, we have been visiting Hvar for the third time. Here we found the perfect combination of infrastructure and other conditions, needed to carry out the winter training camp. So it was no surprise that the team chose again the same venue. The destination itself, with everything that Hvar can offer, is perfect for the needs of our athletes. And the appreciation is mutual”.

“To host a team like Bahrain Merida is important for building our brand and destination – not only the island of Hvar but the whole Split-Dalmatia County, where high-quality training of world-class teams can be held. Precisely cycling is the discipline that we’ve been focusing on for the last five years. We have 4.000 kilometers of cycling routes, 125 routes in the county and 200 “bike and bed” accommodations. So we are intentionally developing infrastructure to attract such world-class teams as well as amateurs to enjoy everything our county has to offer,” commented Joško Stella, director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board. Petar Razović, director of the Hvar Tourist Board, shares his views: “We can be proud to be a part of the Team Bahrain Merida, especially since we are their chosen destination for winter training camp already for 3 years. It is important to state that on Hvar we are intentionally developing cyclo-tourism with the objective of offering a tourist product for the time before and after the main season. These kinds of partnerships help contribute to the development of cyclo-tourism in the future but also give us some guidelines on how to continue our efforts. For the third year in a row, Hvar is the host of this world-class team and that has an important impact on developing our brand as well as promoting Hvar as a luxury tourist destination.”

The same as the last year, the Team Bahrain Merida stayed at the Hotel Amfora, where everything was suited to the team’s needs. Zdravko Tudor, director of marketing at Sunčani Hvar is delighted to see the team coming back every year: “It was a true pleasure to host again the Bahrain Merida team in our Hotel Amfora for their winter training camp. Hvar as a perfect destination for the training of a professional cycling team, and hotels of Sunčani Hvar are a perfect introduction to the new cycling season, for which we believe will be another successful year, especially now, under the leadership of the new strategic joint-venture partner, McLaren.”

Many other individuals and companies are deserving of the training camp to be such success each year, among them are certainly Jadrolinija, Croatia’s main shipping transport company, which contributes greatly to the safe delivery of all the team’s gear and also transportation of staff and team to the island. So, all the circumstances, including the weather, are perfect for this year’s winter training camp and a perfect intro to the new successful season for the team.