BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE 2018 CANADA S RETURN TO THE BALKANS

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1 BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE 2018 CANADA S RETURN TO THE BALKANS

2 MISSION Following the 2017 Vimy 100 Battlefield Bike Ride (BBR17) we are proud to announce that BBR18 will begin on the 100th Anniversary of the end WWI in the very place that sparked the war to end all wars on the streets of Sarajevo. Nearly 80 years later, Sarajevo, and the broader Balkan region, would once again descend into chaos. The breakdown of the former Yugoslavia, and war that ensued, required the service and sacrifice of over 40,000 Canadian soldiers who would deploy as part of multiple United Nations and NATO missions, defending the cause of peace during the decade of the 1990 s and the early 2000 s in the Balkans marks the 25th anniversary of the battle of the Medak Pocket, which was the Canadian Army s most intense combat since the Korean War. To commemorate this important part of our history, we will bring Canada back to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. The ride will take our cyclists to places of significance to Canadian Armed Forces members and their families who served in the Balkan theatre, culminating at the site of the battle of the Medak Pocket. Through each leg of the journey we will honour the service and sacrifice of those brave Canadians who fought there; the 23 Canadians who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Balkans; and the thousands whose service left them forever changed with the physical and mental scars of the conflict. Additionally, one of the unique and very special aspects of BBR18 is that the cyclists will have the privilege of riding with Veterans who served in these operations. Image courtesy of Maj. (ret.) Bryan Bailey, through The Toronto Star BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE

3 BACKGROUND Canadian Armed Forces deployed in many places in the 1990 s beginning with 4,000 Service Personnel in the Gulf War on OP FRICTION. Along with a myriad of other lesser known monitoring, peacekeeping and peace support operations, Canada is well remembered for its deployments to Somalia and Rwanda. As significant and important as these operations were, Canada s largest operational deployment in that decade was to the former Yugoslavia beginning with the European Community Monitoring Mission in Canada and other countries then deployed a large UN peacekeeping force known as the UNPROFOR to try to curb the violence in the region, particularly in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. This would represent the first of a series of UN (and later NATO) peace support operations in Croatia, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Macedonia and Kosovo in the former Yugoslavia. In September 1993, Canadian soldiers experienced their most intense firefight since the Korean War. The soldiers of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia s Canadian Light Infantry were subjected to heavy machine gun, artillery fire, and small arms fire in the Medak Pocket of Croatia. Canadian soldiers would remain in the Balkans until 2005 and would continue to experience the horrors of civil conflict. These ranged from being taken hostage, used as human shields to prevent NATO airstrikes, collecting evidence for war crimes, securing mass graves, and assisting patients in hospitals that had been abandoned. Despite the challenges, the Canadians acted with honour, courage, compassion and bravery. Image courtesy of History.ca BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE

4 THE ROUTE 600KM JOURNEY FINISH Trenton START BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE

5 QUICK INFORMATION Dates June 8-16, 2018 Route Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina to Medak, Croatia Open To Anybody! Cost $4,000 (Minimum Fundraising Goal) Register at BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE

6 FAQ Is WWC booking my flight? No: you are responsible for arranging your own transportation to Meet & Greet hotel in Sarajevo (TBC) on Friday June, 8th and departure back to Canada on or after June 16th. Do I have to book my own accommodations? Your accommodations on Friday, June 8th through to June 16th will be booked for you by Magic Places (Tour Provider) and are included as part of your Tour fee. The hotel information will be sent to you at a later date and following registration. Will there be a training ride beforehand? Yes! Before beginning the journey to Croatia, Magic Places will provide a full cycling briefing and training ride for the team on Saturday, June 9th in Sarajevo. What services are provided as part of my ride package? We have a great support team that supports our journey. Some of the services that are included on this tour are: Coach transport to and from start and finish. Superior hotel accommodations from June 8th to the 16th, based on double occupancy Breakfasts each morning Lunch each riding day Mechanical support for both rental and owned bikes Vehicle support for riders needing to miss a stage for physical or mechanical issues. Post ride nutrition Complimentary team Tour jersey BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE

7 FAQ (CONT.) What is a normal day like? In short: FUN!! Wake up around 6:30, Breakfast at 7. Pre-ride brief at 8, on the road by 9am. Ride till about noon, including a stop of interest en route, and stop for lunch for about an hour. Back on your bike for another 2-3 hours (including stops) and arrive at the destination hotel in the afternoon. Grab some of the provided post-ride nutrition and check into your room. Shower, relax, and get ready for dinner. Dinner on your own schedule (except for the gala dinner on the last day), in bed with a full tummy, and ready to start it all again the next morning. What happens at the end of the tour? On June 15th, after the service at Medak Pocket, you will arrive to our hotel; check in; collect your bike box (for those that bring their own bikes) or return your rental bike. Bikes will be packed into your bike boxes for transport the next day. Planning pre or post Tour travel in Europe? If you re planning on traveling in Europe before June 8th, or after June 16th, these arrangements, and the logistics associated with your plans, are your responsibility. Don t forget insurance! Proof of medical insurance is mandatory and we strongly recommend you also purchase trip cancellation insurance. While most travel companies offer insurance packages, if you wish to use the insurance partner of Wounded Warriors Canada please contact: Gary Strange gstrange1168@gmail.com BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE

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9 REGISTRATION & CONTACT REGISTER NOW Registration visit BBR18.ca to register today 2018 WWC Battlefield Bike Ride Operations Manger Todd McGowan Limited Spots! Register early as the ride is limited to 150 riders. Registration Deadline Last day to register for this amazing opportunity is May 9, Remember you will need time to fundraise the $4000 minimum goal. Todd McGowan is your Operations Manager for BBR18. He is a retired Army Chief Warrant Officer with 27 years of Canadian Forces Service. He completed tours in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait/Iraq, Croatia, Bosnia, Germany, Afghanistan, Turkey and sailed with HMCS Ottawa and was skydiver with the SkyHawks parachute team. Todd is also an avid cyclist with extensive experience of European bike touring. He is also a Wounded Warrior himself and a graduate of our sponsored Veterans Transition Program for PTSD veterans. BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE

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