L’Étape Romania by Tour de France brings traffic restrictions to Bucharest this weekend

The fifth edition of L’Étape Romania by Tour de France will take place in Bucharest on Sunday, August 30, with almost 2,000 cyclists expected to participate. As such, traffic will be restricted on several major streets and boulevards in the city between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The restrictions will affect Unirii Boulevard, Mircea Vodă Boulevard, Splaiul Unirii in the direction of Bucharest, Decebal Boulevard, Basarabia Boulevard, Calea Victoriei, Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, Schitu Măgureanu Boulevard, Știrbei Vodă and Ion Câmpineanu streets, Kiseleff Road, Buzești, Berzei, Vasile Pârvan and Bogdan Petriceicu Hașdeu streets, and Libertății Boulevard.

The organizers said they were working with the Traffic Police to establish alternative routes.

Constituției Square will serve as the starting and finishing point for all three races.

The 14 km City Adventure route, open to participants aged 7 and over, will begin at 7:30 a.m. The 42 km Ride will start at 8:30 a.m. and is open to cyclists aged at least 15, while the 85 km Race will begin at 10 a.m. and has the same minimum age requirement.

The race routes are scheduled to close fully at 1 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 1:30 p.m.

Almost 2,000 cyclists from 17 countries and more than 170 cities and towns have registered. International participants include cyclists from Bulgaria, Greece, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine, Germany, Cyprus, France, Belgium, and Austria.

The 42 km route is expected to attract the largest field, with approximately 1,200 cyclists at the start. More than 250 children and teenagers under the age of 18 have also registered.

“To make sure race day is exactly what every participant has been looking forward to, my advice is simple: have your bike checked - brakes, tires and gears - and don’t leave this until the last minute. Also, avoid overtraining during this final week: your fitness has already been built, and now it’s all about rest, hydration and sleep. Don’t try anything new on race day, whether it’s equipment or nutrition, and come to the Race Village on Saturday to collect your race kit, so you can enjoy every kilometer on Sunday morning without a worry,” said Răzvan Jugănaru, MTB Academy, event organizer.

Registration is open until the end of August 26 or until all available places are filled. Participants must collect their race kits on August 29, between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., from the Race Village in Constituției Square.

Further details are available here.