Founders Leg 6 · Sunday 19 September 2027

Kozani to Thessaloniki

Around Lake Polyfytos with Mount Olympus in view, a late lunch at a vineyard, and a flat run in to the sea.

Distance
170km
105.8 mi
Climbing
1,509m
4,951 ft
Descent
2,210m
7,252 ft
High point
709m
2,328 ft

The day's digital “cloth” map

  1. Start
    0.0 km / 0.0 mi
    Aliakmon Hotel, Kozani
    The morning is wild and empty. Finding a decent coffee is part of the challenge.
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    58.7 km · 36.5 mi to water stop
  2. Water stop
    58.7 km / 36.5 mi
    Morning water stop
    Refill bottles after the last climb of the leg.
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    28.9 km · 18.0 mi to lunch
  3. Lunch
    87.6 km / 54.4 mi
    Vineyard Estate Kalaitzis, near Vergina
    A late lunch among the vines, once all the climbing is done.
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    53.9 km · 33.5 mi to water stop
  4. Water stop
    141.5 km / 87.9 mi
    Afternoon water stop
    Last refill before the flat run in to Thessaloniki.
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    28.8 km · 17.9 mi to finish
  5. Finish
    170.3 km / 105.8 mi
    Makedonia Palace, Thessaloniki
    On the seafront. Celebration dinner tonight.
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Ride25 crew

Call the crew for a lift, a mechanical or if you are lost. Everyone is also in the ride WhatsApp group.

112
EmergencyPolice, ambulance, fire. Free from any phone in Greece. Ambulance 166.

Tonight's hotel

Makedonia Palace, Thessaloniki

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Route map

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  • Stops
  • Wind, km/h

Elevation

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Wind and weather

Too far ahead for a forecast yet, so these are the conditions on the same day in 2025. Winds were light, around 0 to 10 km/h, mostly north westerly. Dry, about 13°C early and up to 27°C. The live forecast appears here automatically in the two weeks before the ride.

Typical conditions from Open-Meteo records for the same day in 2025. Check the live forecast on the morning.

Riding notes

  • The last climb of the leg comes in the morning. After that, it is long sweeping downhills.
  • Lunch is late, once all the climbing is done. Carry food for the morning.
  • The run in to Thessaloniki is flat and busier. Stay in single file on the final kilometres along the sea.

The country you ride through

History on the road

0 to 50 km

Lake Polyfytos

The lake was created in 1974 by damming the Aliakmonas, the longest river in Greece. Mount Olympus, home of the gods, rises to the south east.

About 110 km

Vergina

Vergina was Aigai, the first capital of ancient Macedonia. The tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, was found here in 1977.

110 to 170 km

Thessaloniki

Founded in 315 BC and named after Alexander the Great's half sister, Thessaloniki was a great Byzantine and Ottoman city. The White Tower stands on the seafront.

Look out for

  • Mount Olympus in the distance
  • The bridge across Lake Polyfytos
  • The royal tombs at Vergina
  • The White Tower

Local heroes

Famous faces from along the route

Alexander the Great was born at Pella, between Vergina and Thessaloniki. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, was born in Thessaloniki in 1881, and his house is now a museum.

Call crew leader, Mel+44 7947 765600 Emergency112