British Embassy cyclists from Budapest, Zagreb and Belgrade will be amongst the more than 200 cycling enthusiasts taking part in the EC-organised Danube by Bike Tour 2009, which starts today in the Hungarian capital. The UK team is taking part to promote the UK's goals of EU enlargement and increased environmental awareness. The UK's Tour slogan, 'Long Blue Danube, Wide Green Europe', reflects those goals.

Chris Hodge, the Deputy Head of Mission, and Bernard Vrban, Head of Communications, will represent the Zagreb Embassy on the Tour, which will enter Croatia on 25 June at the Udvar border crossing and will continue through the Kopacki rit nature park and then on to the City of Osijek. On 26 June, the Tour will include a public event on Vukovar's main square. After crossing the Serbian border at Ilok, the Tour will make its way to Belgrade for the main celebration on 27 June.

For more information about British Embassy participation in the Tour, please see www.danubebybike.tumblr.com.

The EC Directorate-General for Enlargement is the main sponsor of the Tour, in cooperation with the European Cyclists Federation. Integration and dialogue, as well as an awareness of cultural heritage are key messages of the tour. The Tour also intends to focus attention on the Danube River eco-system, which is shared by all of the Tour countries, and therefore requires joint protective action by all countries.

Another Tour group of more than 200 cyclists, starting from the Romanian capital of Bucharest, will also arrive in Belgrade for the celebration at Usce, across from the Kalemegdan fortress, which lies at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers.

For more information about the Danube by Bike Tour, please see www.danubebybike.eu .

Please contact Bernard Vrban, Head of Communications at the UK Embassy Zagreb, at +385 (0)91 4555 374 for any additional information.