The biggest cycling spectacle once again connects Croatia and sends its most beautiful images out into the world.
CRO Race is a top-level sports and tourism project which, this September, will once again see 140 world-class cyclists transform Croatia into a sports arena. Over six stages and more than a thousand kilometers, images of Croatia’s most stunning landscapes and landmarks will be broadcast to nearly 200 countries worldwide.
Zagreb, September 19, 2025 – The jubilee 10th edition of one of Croatia’s biggest sporting events, CRO Race, was presented at Zagreb’s Kaptol Boutique Cinema & Bar in front of numerous partners, sponsors, and friends of the race. This international cycling event, which will this year begin on September 30 in Split and traditionally finish in Zagreb on October 5, features six stages once again connecting south and north, coast and continent.
After the start in Split, the race will pass through Sinj, Biograd na Moru, Novalja, Gospić, Krk, Rijeka, continuing to Labin, Karlovac, Sveta Nedelja, and Samobor, before finishing, as in previous years, in Zagreb. What began as an enthusiast’s idea has, over the past ten years, grown into a unique sports and tourism project of national importance. Not only does it transform Croatia into a true sporting arena, but it also showcases its beauty to nearly 200 countries across the globe.
Through the past nine editions, millions of viewers have discovered the plains of Slavonia, the rolling hills of Istria, the Kvarner and Dalmatian coasts, as well as the mountain peaks of continental Croatia.
The launch event featured many partners, sponsors, and supporters of the project, including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Croatian National Tourist Board, the City of Zagreb, HEP, and numerous local authorities. Among the speakers were Krešimir Šamija, envoy of the Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Director of the Sports Directorate at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Croatian Parliament member Maksimilijan Šimrak, envoy of Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković; Stjepan Crnokić, envoy of the Mayor of Zagreb; Dubravko Šimenc, Head of Outdoor, Cycling and Sports Tourism at the Croatian Tourist Board; and Vinko Knežević, Head of Public Relations and Spokesperson of the Croatian Olympic Committee. Other attendees included Matej Brečić, Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, and Zrinka Mužinić Bikić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth.
A project that brings out the best of Croatia
None of this would have been possible without the perseverance, dedication, and cooperation of everyone involved – from institutions, sponsors, and destination partners, to local communities and countless enthusiasts whose efforts have turned CRO Race into Croatia’s most important promotional platform.
“CRO Race has, in ten years, become a symbol of cooperation and unity, transforming into a project that brings together passion for sport, tourism, and national identity. Today we are recognized not only as top-class organizers but also as a country that knows how to present itself to the world through sport. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the loyal support of all our partners, institutions, and hosts, and I sincerely thank them all,” said Race Director Vladimir Miholjević during his opening remarks at the official presentation.
At the event, a short documentary “CRO Race: Kilometers of Dreams” by Stjepan Balog was premiered, offering an overview of the project’s first nine years. In the Wow Bar, this year’s winner’s jerseys were also unveiled, alongside the virtual cycling race Kids CRO Race.
To mark its 10th anniversary, CRO Race also gave young artists a chance to contribute. A competition was held to design the trophy for the overall winner, and the chosen work by young sculptor Luka Krešimir Stipić was presented. The sculpture symbolizes the path to the top, with all its elements sourced from Croatia – from the Brač stone base to the box made of Slavonian oak. “Sport and art are my two passions, and I am truly honored that my work will be present at the very top of the world sporting stage,” said Stipić during the unveiling.
The stage presentation was further enriched by numerous destination partners, including Deputy Mayor of Sinj Denis Bobeta, Project Management Senior Advisor at the City of Split Igor Maretić, Head of the Department of Economy and Tourism of Zadar County Ante Sjauš, and Director of the Biograd na Moru Tourist Board Nives Jeličić.
Support was also expressed by Deputy Prefect of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Robert Matić, Deputy Mayor of Gospić Ivica Kovačević, Mayor of Rijeka Iva Rinčić, Head of the Economy Department of the City of Krk Igor Hrast, Mayor of Labin Donald Blašković, and Prefect of Istria County Boris Miletić.
Prefect of Karlovac County Martina Furdek-Hajdin, Director of the Karlovac Tourist Board Marina Burić, Mayor of Sveta Nedelja Dario Zurovec, Deputy Prefect of Zagreb County Ervin Kolarec, and Mayor of Jastrebarsko Zvonimir Novosel also highlighted the importance of CRO Race for the development, connection, and promotion of local communities across Croatia.
In its tenth year, CRO Race once again proves that with perseverance and unity, dreams can indeed become reality. From an enthusiastic idea to a globally recognized sporting and promotional project, this legendary race has become an inseparable part of Croatian identity and the best ambassador of our country on the international stage.
