Bohemia Divide 2024

 

The event will take place on September 21. – 28/09/2024. The route will follow this year's route with a change of approx. 60%. We are thinking about replacing Třeboňsko (lake region) with „Czech Canada“ region. Next year, the route will wander further east again, and there will be bigger changes in the north as well. The length will again be around 800 km. This year's delicacy Kozákov will hopefully stay 
 

The limit of competitors will be kept at 135, with the provision that 30 places will be reserved for foreign participants (in case of non-filing, additional places will be added). Competitors of this year can apply by email until 21.12.2023. Standard registration will start on 1/1/2024 at 20:00 via the form issued at this link https://bohemiadivide.wixsite.com/english/registration. The entry fee is slightly increased to 110 euros to reflect the CZK/EUR exchange rate and includes a tracker for online monitoring.
 

Long live bikepacking
The Bohemia Divide team

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BD 2021 SUMMARY

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103 courageous riders from 8 countries lined up at the start, out of which were 9 women. 81 riders reached the finish, which is a record number.

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First of all, we want to express our big thanks to all our sponsors: BB Cidre, Bohemian Coffee House, Blue Fly, Krmelec restaurant Vlaška, Station Coffee House in Milovice, Brewery in Černý Kostelec, Falkenštejn Brewery Krásná Lípa, Tom Ritchey and Lucifer Lights.

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We are also endlessly grateful to all those who supported the contestants with unexpected refreshment points, encouraging messages or were just interested in their „foolish“ actions.

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Special thanks to Romana and Robert at the White Mill (Bílý Mlýn) in Vyšší Brod for a perfect base for the start.

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Photos from the race by Pavel Šťastný are available at this link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/1WopU488cqWBHD7Y7

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Animation sequence of the whole race, including all previous editions, is available at: https://jirkachadima.gitlab.io/bohemia-divide-timelapse/

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And now one „irrelevant“ yet absolutely essential information – the announcement of the first three finishers in both categories, Women and Men.

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The first to reach the start this year were two riders: Štěpán Aubrecht and Austrian rider Jan Koller. They managed to defeat the 745 km in 2 days, 6 hours and 40 minutes. They both deserve our congratulations and deep admiration. We also value their fair and friendly attitude even at the head of the race, which absolutely demonstrates the philosophy behind Bohemia Divide.

The second place belongs to Markus Zimmermann, also from Austria, who reached the finish in 2 days, 12 hours and 28 minutes.

At the third place there were again two riders, Tomáš Kovářík and Petr Tichý, only 30 minutes after Markus.

In the women's category the winner is Hanka Uhlíková, who conquered the whole trail in 2 days, 23 hours and 11 minutes (11th place overall), a result of a professional female cyclist. Katka Ludvíková (last year´s winner) came second in 3 days and 5 hours and the bronze medal goes to Blanka Vlčková, who replicated the 3rd place in male category of her brother Jakub Vlček from last year.

Great respect also for Soňa Purkrábková, for whom Bohemia Divide 2021 first bike-packing adventure ever. Although she did not finish the race (due to some health problems she stopped at 400 km), however, after a day´s rest she decided to take the train to Jedlová and rode the last very hard 90 km via the cursed Nordkap. We appreciate the desire not to give up and despite everything to enjoy the rest of the ride.

 

Once again, we want to express our gratitude to all participants and organizers of this year's edition of Bohemia Divide.

Long live Bohemia Divide 2022!!!

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Yours Bohemia Divide Team – Honza, Erika, Borek, Jířa and Pavel

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Springs' news 2021

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As bears wake up from winter hibernation, we rouse from winter dreaming too and half a year before the start of Bohemia Divide 2021, here we come with some spring news.

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At first, we would like to introduce to you our new supporter and that is BLUEFLY manufacture (https://www.bluefly.cz/) producing thermal underwear and jerseys. In cooperation with last year´s contestant Peter Kohoutek they created Bohemia Divide Edition of thermal jerseys (short/long sleeves) that is waiting in their e-shop for those interested. This year contestants can enjoy 15% reduction on all their products.

Another news, for some joyful for some sorrowful, there will be a rather radical route alternation and that is that this year we are going to avoid some of old legendary favourites – loved and hated Ralsko and also mountain Říp – so slippery in the rain. Yet do not despair, we´ve planned adequate substitutions. This year´s route will take you eastward from Prague, where we´ve discovered unexpectedly beautiful nature during mapping the new route. You will pass through a picturesque historical town Kouřim (means place of smoke) from where our ancestor Lech send smoke signals to his brother Čech, our legendary forefather, who settled on the mountain Říp. We will bring to your mind romantic morning mists rising above the gardening cottage colony Kersko known from film and book „Slavnosti sněženek“ („Snowdrop Festivity“) by Bohumil Hrabal.

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We hope that after the Easter we would be allowed to cross the county borders without limitations and pangs of conscience, therefore we wish you pleasant and enjoyable rides and traditionally release last year´s track that you may find at  http://sezemice.net/Bohemia_Divide_2020.zip

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To boost the optimistic mood we send you a short extract from a book „Carpathian games“about illness and travelling by Miroslav Nevrlý. It is slightly idealized but still very cheerful.

„When travelling you assimilate yourself to an animal: the illness will avoid you. Moreover, if you fell ill before the travel, it will leave you, it will disappear in the distance, it will stay lying powerlessly along the road after the first rainfall. Voyage will heal you. … You shiver with cold in the night and feel fresh like a salmon in the morning. At home it would have killed you, you would be observing yourself, getting massages and gargles, you would be sick. It is a strange game. While travelling you don´t have the time to be ill, you ignore the illness and it disappears. Cherish your health but do not worry about it. You need it for you voyages and therefore you have it“.

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BD 2020 SUMMARY

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Despite many troubles preceding the actual race, we succeeded to realize this year´s edition in its entirety. And yet again it turned enormously, even unexpectedly well. From 130 registered contestants, magnificent 106 courageous riders stood at the start – 6 women and 100 men. The weather played it´s tricky games but even so 68 riders reached the finish. Great respect not only to the finishers, but to all who despite the unfavourable conditions had the courage to line up at the start. The atmosphere at the start, on the road and at the finish was just fantastic.

We are endlessly grateful to all those who supported the contestants with unexpected refreshment points, encouraging messages or were just interested in their „foolish“ action.

Photos from the race by Pavel Šťastný are available at this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kq2QcD66h2IYNojS6FOcQQuoObrg8Zkw

The first to reach the start this year was Ondra Svoboda. He managed to defeat the 770 km in extremely hard, waterlogged terrain in 2 days, 23 hours and 40 minutes. Second place belongs to Tomáš Novotný and third place to Jakub Vlček.

In the women´s category the winner is Katarína Ludvíková, who conquered the whole trail in 4 days, 4 hours and 10 minutes. Jitka Brunnerová came second and Jiřina Lípová third. Great respect also for Katka Holá who due to some health indisposition started almost a day behind but thanks to her invincibility reached the Kocour Brewery just in time not to miss the after-party.

Two more performances are also worth mentioning and we pay our great respect to tandem riders Petr Vocetka and Jarda Šach and also to successful Zdeněk Janeček on his recumbent bike.

 

Bohemia Divide 2020 Edition

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will take place from September 26 to October 3, 2020 – from Saturday to Saturday, as we want you to save 2 of your holiday days, in addition with Bank Holiday Monday, September 28. The route will be altered by approximately 30%, however your favourite, time-proven passages will remain preserved .

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We had to increase the number of participants to total 100. For foreign/international contestants we reserved 30 places (in case of un-filled places, they will be offered to back-up riders who wouldn´t manage to enrol in standard registration).

This year´s contestants have again priority registration via e-mail till December 21, 2019. 

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Standard registration will be open on January 1, 2020, at 20.00 o´clock at: https://bohemiadivide.wixsite.com/english/registration.

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The registration fee will remain 80 EUR and includes the tracker for on-line monitoring of current position.

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BD 2019 SUMMARY

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2nd edition of Bohemia Divide, bikepacking ultramarathon, started from Vyšší Brod on Sunday, September 22, 2019. Just as similar events having „divide“ in their title, Bohemia Divide divides the Czech Republic, starting in the utmost southern point and finishing in the utmost north of the republic. The race was 720 km long with the elevation of 14 km vertical.

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On the starting line there were 78 contestants from 7 countries (Czech Republic, Germany, France, USA, Great Britain, Hungary and New Zealand). The track leads on firm roads, however there are some steep stony slopes, where its necessary to push or carry the bike. The organizers attempt to take the racers to places that are interesting also from the view of a perceptive tourist or someone who wants to see the true beauty the Czech Republic. This year we took the contestants to castle Rožmberk, convent Zlatá Koruna, Kleť mountain, chateau Kratochvíle, Brdy, Křivoklátsko, industrial Kladno, magical Říp hill, Mácha lake, former air-field Hradčany, beautiful Ještěd, Lužické mountains, saxon spa towns Oybin and Jonsdorf and Šluknov area with the utmost northern point „Nordkap“.

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58 contestants reached the finish in Kocour brewery in Varnsdorf.

The fastest contestant, Czech expat Martin Střelka now living in New Zealand, managed to cross the Czech land in unbelievable 2 days and 6 hours. The second racers in the finish was two time winner of legendary 1000 miles race, Radek Musil. And the bronze position took Petr „Piškot“ Novák.

Jitka Brunnerová won the female category in 3 days and 23 hours. Second woman was Katka Holá, followed by Patricia Berhelier in the third place.

Credit and appreciation, nonetheless, belong to all contestants who set out on the bikepacking unsupported journey and found their own individual enrichment and satisfaction.

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Bohemia Divide is an event that closes the bikepacking season in Czech Republic. The organizers had a goal to prepare „a joyride without limits “, that would please those who love travelling and at the same time emphasise friendly atmosphere of similar events, where life-long friendships can emerge.

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Bohemia Divide 2019 is over. Long live Bohemia Divide 2020.