The 9th Edition of CRO Race Kicks Off on 1 October in Vodice
Zagreb, 24 September 2024. – The international cycling race, CRO Race, has become the premier international cycling event that consistently promotes Croatia on the global level through tourism and sport every year. In its ninth edition, CRO Race will gather 20 cycling teams with more than a hundred cyclists, who will compete in six stages from 1 October to 6 October, covering nearly a thousand kilometres across the picturesque landscapes of our beautiful country. The race will be broadcast live on the Croatian National Television (HTV), with coverage reaching an impressive 140 countries around the world, highlighting teams from diverse regions including Australia and Europe. This year, cyclists will embark on their journey from Vodice for the first time, while the finish line, as always, will be in Zagreb.
State Secretary from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Josip Pavić, Head of the Department for Sports Programs from the City of Zagreb, Milan Čolić, and Assistant Head of the Traffic Police Service, Nikola Milas also attended the conference while the organisational and technical details were shared by Race Director Vladimir Miholjević and Technical Director Luka Mišović from TOP SPORT EVENTS. Today’s presentation in Zagreb also welcomed numerous partners and sponsors, along with the representatives of destination partners, including the Prefect of Karlovac County, Martina Furdek-Hajdin, and the Mayor of Sveta Nedelja, Dario Zurovec.
“CRO Race is more than just a cycling competition; it is a project that unites sport and tourism. Year after year, with the support of our sponsors, partners, and hosts, we strive to be better than last year and include innovations and new challenges for both the competitors as well as the spectators. I am particularly proud of our KIDS CRO Race project, through which we aim to inspire children to engage in sports and understand the importance of recreation and physical activity. Children are the future, and we want to instil a love for a healthy lifestyle and cycling in them from an early age. I believe this year’s race will once again delight all cycling enthusiasts, whether they are standing by the tracks or watching from their homes, and together we will celebrate another significant achievement for Croatian sport and tourism,” noted Vladimir Miholjević, emphasising that from the inception of this unique sporting event, there has been a clear vision not only to create a top-tier sporting event but also to promote Croatia, its natural beauty, and its tourism potential.
Miholjević expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the destination partners who have supported the project tremendously from the very beginning. The race will feature the following stages: 1. Vodice – Sinj (162.5 km), 2. Biograd na Moru – Novalja (114.5 km), 3. Otočac – Opatija (154 km), 4. Krk – Labin (160.5 km), 5. Ozalj – Karlovac (167 km) and 6. Sveta Nedelja – Zagreb (157.5 km). The final stage will conclude with the announcement of the overall winner on Sunday, 6 October, at approximately 3 PM in front of the National and University Library on the Hrvatske bratske zajednice street in Zagreb.
This year, we are proud to announce the participation of six teams from the UCI WorldTeams category: Bahrain Victorious, INEOS Grenadiers, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL, Team Jayco AlUla and UAE Team Emirates. In addition to these teams, eight clubs from the UCI ProTeams category and six UCI Continental teams will also compete, ensuring a dynamic race and an exciting battle for victory. The significance of this spectacular sporting event and its commitment to quality is underscored by the fact that CRO Race is included in the UCI calendar and is classified as a cycling race in class 2.1.
They will all compete for the prestigious red jersey with the CROATIA full of life visual, symbolizing the leader in the overall standings, sponsored by the Croatian National Tourist Board. The best in the points classification will wear the blue jersey sponsored by HEP, the best in the mountain stages will wear the green jersey sponsored by Škoda, and the best young cyclist under 23 years will wear the white jersey sponsored by the City of Zagreb.
This year, in addition to the professional cyclists, around 500 children aged 9 to 12 will once again take part in the KIDS CRO Race event. Virtual trainers will be provided in Vodice, Sinj, Novalja, Opatija, Labin, Karlovac, and Zagreb, where the overall winners of the KIDS CRO Race will be announced alongside the winners of the main CRO Race. This initiative promotes recreation and healthy lifestyles among the youngest, with an emphasis on educating children about proper cycling behaviour in traffic.
Since its inception, CRO Race has received support from the highest state institutions, a tradition that continues this year with backing from the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Croatian Tourist Board, the City of Zagreb, and numerous other cities and counties hosting the stage start and finish or serving as transit locations for some of this year’s stages. In addition to Hrvatska elektroprivreda as one of the main sponsors, many other sponsors and partners are involved in the project, including Valamar Riviera, Škoda, Carwiz, Keindl Sport, Alé, Essperto, Elite, Vinistra, Cetina, Bilić-Erić, Jadrolinija, Europlakat, Karcher, BKOOL, Kraš, the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Croatian Cycling Federation, Zagrebački holding, and the Ministry of the Interior, as well as media and production partners such as Hrvatska radiotelevizija, Hanza media, Sportske novosti, Amaury Sport Organisation, and Croatel.
foto: Sport-IT.
