site.btaHistory of Cycling in Yambol Spans More Than 120 Years

Cycling in Yambol has a history spanning more than 120 years, which may surprise younger people today, Petya Prodanova from the Yambol State Archives told BTA on Friday.

She pointed out that archive records show that on August 6, 1905, eight enthusiasts founded the Sokol Cycling Club in Yambol, led by veteran cyclist Shtiliyon Terziev. Although little is known about the club’s early activities, documents confirm that in 1934 Sokol was officially registered as a legal entity and member of the Bulgarian Cycling Union. In 1942, Shtiliyan Marangozov completed a 150-km cycling tour from Yambol to Mount St. Nikola in 15 hours, Prodanova recalled.

As the sport grew in popularity, the town provided land in the central park for the construction of a velodrome. Built with volunteer labor and local support, it quickly became a gathering place for both athletes and spectators, Prodanova noted, adding that cycling competitions regularly attracted participants from nearby cities, and in 1960 the Yambol team achieved 11th place in the Tour of Bulgaria.

She emphasized that Yambol today continues to support cycling with over 18 km of bike lanes, a pump track, an extreme sports park, and mountain biking trails. Most of them were built in the last five years as part of efforts to promote cycling culture and environmentally friendly transport, Prodanova commented.