On Thursday the 18^th the #Journey Of Hope team set out from Copenhagen, on the first leg of their month long journey through Europe.

The kick-off event was organised in central Copenhagen at Israels Plads, by ECF partner ISCA together with DGI move. The event featured several activities for participants. Such as a speed cycling competition, information about cycling rules and recommendations on large screens, and several other booths for cycling groups and enthusiasts. However the main event of the day was the start of the tour. Several cycling societies and individuals participated in the 40km ride through Copenhagen to Roskilde, which was the first stop of the tour through Denmark. Ignoring a punctured wheel and some gear issues, it was an excellent start of the tour.

From Roskilde the team, joined by ISCA President Mogens Kirkeby and project manager Saska Tomat, travelled to Odden at the peak of Sjælland. Where they later took the ferry to Aarhus for the Cyclo festival. It was the second edition of the festival that took place in Aarhus this year. The #Journey Of Hope team participated in several events, such as the Slow Ride, a festive event featuring every kind of bike imaginable paired with every kind of outfit. The ride itself took about an hour through the city, and featured several live bands playing along the route. The first night was concluded with the Light Parade, where bikers had decorated their bikes with different lights. On Sunday morning the team joined the Marathon Ride out of Aarhus and made their way to Vejle. On Monday the team plan to reach Abenaa on their way to the next leg in Germany. In Germany they will stop at Rendsburg, Itzehoe – Wedel, Hamburg and Berlin.

The NowWeBike team 2016 consists of Feridun Ekmekci as Team leader, Adnan Cangir as blog content writer, Meliha Kaya as Photographer, and Aysel Ataş, Photographer and administration. Everybody on the team are experienced long-distance cyclists. Both Feridun and Adnan where part of the NowWeBike team last year.

 Follow the hashtag #JourneyOfHope on Twitter and Facebook for live updates.