GRANFONDO attracted cyclists from 9 European countries to the Moon Island

Last sunny weekend, Novalja hosted the third edition of the GRANFONDO Pag International Cycling Marathon, which gathered around 130 competitors from Croatia and 9 European countries (Slovenia, Austria, Poland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Slovakia).

The island of Pag offers participants an unusual experience of cycling through lunar landscapes and offers beautiful scenes that follow the path from Novalja to Lunjske masliniki, the organizers emphasize. 

International cycling marathon "GRANFONDO PAG - Cycling on the Moon" took place in 85 kilometers long, while the recreational race "MINI GRANFONDO" was in 35 kilometers long.

The race route (Novalja – Metajna – Žigljen – Stara Novalja – Lun – Novalja) is extremely attractive due to its diverse landscape. Cyclists could thus enjoy the ambiance of bare stone devastated by strong storms on the eastern side of the island, admire the greenery of thousand-year-old olive trees on the northwestern side, and enjoy the blue sea of ​​the bays of Novalja and Starovalja.

This year in the time of 1:57:49,56 the winner of the race is Nikolas Gojkovic from BK Zadar, which drove 85 km in less than two hours.

By the way, the young Zadranin Gojković is the most decorated Croatian cyclist who has won numerous national awards and is also a member of the Croatian national team in the Junior category. Granfondo has followed the race since its first edition. "I am overjoyed with the victory and thank the hosts and organizers for the excellently organized race. I'll see you next year." said Gojković from Paga, whom we will soon follow in the senior category as a member of the Croatian cycling team.

He took second place Anthony Bilic, from the Four Es Racing Team from Croatia, while he won the third place Matija Meden (1:57:54,99) from club VirtuSlo from Slovenia. Matija Meden is participating in the race on Pag for the second time, and recently he drove the Istra 300 race with a length of 230 kilometers.  

"The weather, the competition, and especially the organization was excellent. I'm staying in Novalja until Sunday in order to use the time to rest in beautiful Novalja and the island of Pag," pointed out  is Meden, whose grandfather was originally from Novalja, so he is especially connected to Novalja and the race. 

GRANFONDO PAG – Cycling on the Moon gathers both professionals and recreationalists, which is a special value of the entire cycling marathon. Competitors in the leading group are fighting for victory, those in the middle to achieve the best possible personal time, and cyclists at the back primarily with the challenge of finishing such a demanding race (sometimes also to avoid the "cut off time"), according to organizers Plus Team 4 You.

A large number of recreationists started cycling thanks to the modern way of life and the health problems that are the consequences of it  allegations  Saša Ladavac from the club STUDENTI Samobor, who has been cycling recreationally for 6 years.

Today, it is more than a hobby, so we often go on vacation by bicycle from Samobor to Novalja, and races like this are a special pleasure for us. A large number of competitors come from Slovenia, and one of the recognizable faces of the race was Smiljan Mori a well-known motivational speaker and business consultant from Slovenia stating that he followed the race for the first time in 2019 and is now a participant in it.

"It is important to work on your fitness. Today you have to be multidimensional, both in business and in mental and physical strength, and sport is the best way to start the process of renewal and acquisition of all the skills needed for today's everyday business life. ” points out Mori.

What is extremely important is the involvement of the local population and tourist stakeholders in the organization of the event. One of them is i Ivan Vidas, a renter from the area of ​​the city of Novalja who has been cycling recreationally since the beginning of the pandemic.

"This is my second participation in the race and I am glad to participate as a local representative in our event with four other colleagues from Novalja. We support such events in the pre- and post-season because we want to show with our participation how important it is to weave sports into everyday life, work and destination,” stated Vidas. In addition to cyclists, triathletes also participated in the race, and Dejan Patrčević is one of the most famous names in professional triathlon with significant successes in the ITU World Triathlon Cup and Ironman.

Director of the Tourist Board of the City of Novalja Marina Šćiran Rizner emphasizes how with the cycling product Granfondo Pag they took advantage of the benefits of the island's climate and attracted one of the fastest growing tourist market niches in Novalja.

"Precisely the diverse and rich offer in this post-season period makes Pag one of the most desirable Croatian destinations for the growing number of outdoor fans who find all levels of excitement on the island - from family gatherings in nature to very demanding adrenaline competitions. Visitors are increasingly interested in outdoor activities - tourists are turning to nature, engaging in cycling, trekking, mountaineering, climbing, rowing and similar activities, for which we have ideal conditions not only in Novalja, but also on the entire island. We have a recognizable tourist product that responds to the problem of seasonality, and events are just one of the communication channels for promoting a destination ideal for outdoor activities." pointed out Šćiran Rizner.