COP31 Bike Ride to reach Gümülcine on October 5
Gümülcine Municipality will host a reception for the cyclists, who are travelling to the host city of the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) to raise awareness of climate change and sustainable transport.
The COP31 Bike Ride began in Belém, Brazil, which hosted COP30, and combines cycling with sailing across the Atlantic before continuing through cities in Europe and other regions on its way to Antalya. The organisers describe the initiative as a long-distance cycling relay promoting everyday cycling as a way to reduce carbon emissions.
COP31 will take place at the Antalya EXPO Center in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20, 2026, according to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
CYCLISTS TO ARRIVE VIA İSKEÇE AND YASSIKÖY
According to Gümülcine Municipality, the cyclists will reach the city on October 5 after following the İskeçe (Xanthi)–Yassıköy (Iasmos)–Gümülcine (Komotini) route.
They will continue through the Eleftheriou Venizelou junction and the city centre before reaching Gümülcine City Hall, where a reception ceremony and the signing of a cooperation protocol between the municipality and the event organisers are scheduled to take place.
The exact arrival time will be announced at a later date.
The organisers' website says the wider COP31 Bike Ride has multiple starting points across continents and is intended to bring cycling-policy proposals to COP31 in Antalya.
RESIDENTS INVITED TO JOIN THE RIDE
Gümülcine Municipality has invited residents, families and the city's cycling community to join the cyclists with their own bicycles.
Participants will be able to accompany the group for any section of the route, with no minimum distance requirement. Families with children will also be able to choose a section appropriate to their circumstances.
Residents will likewise be able to join the cyclists for part of their journey when they leave Gümülcine for Orestiada (Orestiada) on October 6.
Anyone wishing to participate on October 5 or 6 has been asked to complete the municipality's registration form, regardless of the distance or section they plan to ride.
