The 2nd Tour of Croatia international cycling race is just two weeks away…



From 19 – 24 April 2016 some of the best international riders will race on a 1,150 kilometre route along the Adriatic coast, Istria and inland Croatia over 6 stages.

This year’s Tour of Croatia is one day and one stage longer than the successful first edition in 2015. Riders from 20 teams will start the race in Osijek on April 19th. The first 244 km long stage will finish in a beautiful baroque city of Varaždin. The second stage starts in a mesmerizing UNESCO’s World Heritage Site National Park Plitvice and finishes in Split, Croatia’s second largest city. The third leg is a bit shorter, but no slouch. It starts in Makarska and finishes after 193 km in another National Park, Krka. Stage 4 starts in Crikvenica, goes through Rijeka, Opatija and strongly finishes with a tortuous climb to Učka mountain range, one of many Nature parks in Croatia. The fifth stage is a team time trial, a 41 kilometre sprint from Poreč to Umag.

Ultimately, on April 24th, a 160 kilometre leg from Lifeclass terme Sv. Martin na Muri to Zagreb on St. Mark’s square, on which the final ceremony will take place.

The race, which is classified as a first category race by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), just one level below the biggest tour races such as Tour de France, Giro di Italia and Vuelta a España, will be feature some top-class riders, including Sir Bradley Wiggins, the winner of the 2012 Tour de France and the 2012 Olympic gold medallist, and also Mark Cavendish, who has won 26 Tour de France stages and is the 2011 Road World Championship. A massive TV audience is again expected, with some spectacular shots of Croatia again being beamed out to the world.

STAGES

1. OSIJEK – VARAŽDIN (19.04)

2. NP PLITVIČKA JEZERA – SPLIT (20.04)

3. MAKARSKA – ŠIBENIK (21.04)

4. CRIKVENICA – UČKA (22.04)

5. POREČ – UMAG (23.04)

6. SVETI MARTIN NA MURI – ZAGREB (24.04)

You can follow the race on Tour of Croatia’s official website here.