Victor Asenov He never stops looking for challenges. The Bulgarian athlete, blind from birth, demonstrated it again on Sunday during the historic arrival of the Giro d’Italia to Sofia. He took advantage of the closure of one of the capital’s great boulevards to take on a challenge that had been on his mind for some time: traveling several kilometers completely alone on an individual bicycle.
He started as soon as the route was clear and completed nine kilometers to the center of Sofia. There a crowd of thousands of people was waiting for him and also the mayor of the city, Vasil Terziev, who had a special gesture with him. He gave him the honor of starting the cycling parade organized by the Giro. Victor gave the sound signal and then joined the march, already on a tandem bicycle.
His appearance shocked the organizers of the event. First they did a brief interview with him and then they invited him to cross the finish line of the stage in Sofia to the applause of the public. “It was a great gesture and a great honor for me. An impressive moment that I will always remember. Many thanks to the Sofia City Council, Visit Sofia and the organizers of the Giro d’Italia,” Victor told MARCA.
Asenov has been chaining adventures for years. Run long distances in the mountains, ride a bike and explore caves. It always seeks to go one step further and increasingly looks towards international competitions.
Last year he already had a special experience in Sicily. She participated by invitation in the first Everesting World Championship with Dilyana Hristova. Both faced the slopes of the Etna volcano on a tandem bicycle with the aim of accumulating a gradient equivalent to the height of Everest, 8,848 meters. The challenge ended early, although it did not stop him from wanting to return.
Return to Etna in September
“It was a magnificent adventure. But then I had an inadequate bike and everyone was very surprised. Unfortunately, after two climbs on the slopes of Etna and about 100 kilometers covered, I had to give up. But that does not mean giving up. On the contrary: this year I bought a new suitable road bike and I am already training. I definitely want to return to the Everesting World Championship in Sicily in September, because it is a wonderful event. That is why I am very grateful to my team, to Bozhidar Kartunov from Sports Heroes and my partners from DECATHLON, United Bulgarian Bank, Pet Network International, DEVIN, Eduboom and DHL. “It is important for any athlete to have support, especially in my case, since expenses are increasing and I really want to participate in competitions outside Bulgaria.”
Sports are only part of Asenov’s life. She also gives motivational talks, works as a masseuse and visits schools to talk about the challenges of people with disabilities and guide dogs. In March 2025 he also completed a charity Everesting on foot in snow to raise funds for the Sofia guide dog school. He accumulated more than 9,000 meters of elevation gain after walking for more than 46 hours straight on Vitosha Mountain, on the outskirts of the Bulgarian capital.
“My message to all MARCA readers is: people, be inspired and challenge yourselves. Believe that each person sets their own limits and can achieve anything. The important thing is to work, fight and dare to try. Much success! “I will be very happy to see them in some competition in Spain,” he added.