Who am I?

I’m Aurélien, a 35 years old French man who settled in Amsterdam 6 years ago and quickly embraced the lycra and roadcycling world. It’s been a wonderful way of discovering this beautiful country via its world-famous cycling infrastructure. But my heart has always been more into off road, which probably comes from when I was about 14, exploring every mountain around my home city Lyon on my cheap supermarket MTB.

Crossing the river Tarn in France:

The Balkan Pilgrimage

When a few years ago, my friends Tom and Manu set off on an epic ride across the Balkans, I followed the adventure closely. That’s how I discovered the existence of Ultra Races and more specifically of the Trans Balkan Race . Their journey inspired me, following the path of my Croatian roots, cycling along the most pristine rivers in Europe, exploring remote nature… say no more, I was sold!

Now here am I, and the ambition is to cover about 1400 km, during an unsupported off-road odyssey with 30,000m of climbing departing from Trieste May 29th at 9:00am. I aim to use the maximum allowed time, 10 days so that’s about 140km and 3000m elevation per day. Indeed, no need to rush as I see it a bit more as a pilgrimage than a race. I used to travel to the Balkans as a kid with my parents. If all goes well I will even pass only a few dozen kilometers away from the village where my great-grandparents were from (Vrpolje close to Sinj).

The route starts in Trieste, Italy. It then goes along the dinaric Alps across Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and finally Montenegro. I will cross 8 national parks. It is fully unsupported, meaning that I rely on my own means, spare parts, and what the villages can offer (inc. hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets of course!). I also took this trip as an excuse to finally learn a bit of Croatian and can’t wait to use it a bit (thanks Ilona!).

The route (1400km, 30,000m+), © Trans Balkan Race:

The rivers in the Balkans are under threat

In my professional life at Danone, I work to support the company’s ambition towards improved water management practices in its supply chain. It is therefore a topic close to my heart and I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to help on the ground. The Balkan Peninsula is home to the last wild rivers of Europe, a "Blue Heart" that beats through diverse landscapes and untouched ecosystems. As such, they are the hotspot for the continent’s freshwater biodiversity.

These rivers are unfortunately severely threatened by over 3,400 planned dams, which would irreversibly devastate the last sanctuary for endangered and endemic river species. Some national parks such as the Una’s also suffer from mass tourism which directly impacts the rivers, due to too many boats and constructions.

The campaign Save the Blue Heart of Europe focuses efforts on key project sites that represent both the incredible beauty and the most urgent threats facing these waterways, across the entire region. From the Vjosa in Albania to the emerald reaches of the Neretva in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the threatened Komarnica Canyon in Montenegro, these rivers are more than just water; they are lifelines for biodiversity and local communities. Each site tells a unique story of resilience and resistance.

With a length of 230km and with an exceptional network of tributaries, the Neretva River is one of the most biodiverse river ecosystems in Europe, © Joshua D. Lim:

Karstic source of the Una River in Croatia, located within a Natura 2000 protected area, © Ray Demski:

The canyon of Komarnica: of cliffs, eagles and trees (also used as banner), © Balkan River:

The Nevačka Success Story

I am raising funds for the "Save the Blue Heart of Europe" campaign (led by Riverwatch and Euronatur). Your donations will finance the legal battles and scientific assessments needed to stop these dams.

And it works! In the last 13 years more than 300 dam projects have been stopped or halted throughout the Balkan Peninsula. Most recently in March 2026, we saw a major victory: the application for the Nevačka hydro powerplant was rejected , saving kilometers of the Stupčanica river. This was possible thanks to the legal action from the Center for the Environment (BiH) and other local groups, supported by the funding and scientific evidence provided by this campaign.

100% of your donation will go directly to the campaign to provide the legal "edge" needed to protect these rivers. Even €5 makes a difference.

Thank you for supporting the rivers!

Aurélien

Follow the Ride

If you want to get a peek of the adventure, you can do so here:

Deep Dive: The Front Lines

2nd banner: from left to right, Una River, © Bruno D'Amicis; Vjosa River, © Gregor Subic; Tara River, © Bruno D'Amicis