December 5, 2019 - With the start and finish line in Porec, a new cycling event titled Istria300 will launch in October next year, which will bring as many as 1,000 professional and recreational cyclists to Istria, announced the Valamar Diamant Hotel.

Glas Istre writes that the specialty, and therefore the uniqueness of this cycling event, is behind its motto ”Ride your limits". Specifically, participants will be able to choose their desired distance from the three offered during the ride. Istria300 will ride on trails of 155, 235, and 300 kilometers maximum.

In addition to the race, as part of the event, the Istria300 Expo will be held in Porec from October 8th to October 11th, offering visitors and participants a handful of innovations from the cycling industry. In addition to sports facilities, many interesting lectures by renowned cycling coaches and nutritionists from World Tour cycling teams will be organized.

This international cycling event is organized by Vladimir Miholjevic, former Croatian cyclist and Julius Rupitsch, organizer of the prestigious Großglockner Berglauf mountain race in Austria.

“We chose Istria because it offers ideal cycling conditions. The routes include beautiful places, excellent infrastructure, as well as facilities for cyclists. In addition, the destination itself is made up of its people, and the overall impression will provide participants an unforgettable cycling experience,” said race director Vladimir Miholjevic, adding that Istria is rich in natural beauty, and even these routes do not cover everything, which leaves room for new plans. He also points out that there are not many places in the world where 300 kilometers can be driven on closed roads.

The organizers have set themselves the highest standards in organizing cycling events, and their desire is for athletes and cycling to profit as much as possible.

The mayor of the host city, Loris Persuric, said that he believed that October next year would be a truly active month as another motive for arrivals was created, thus prolonging the tourist season.

The director of the Tourist Board of Porec, Nenad Velenik, agreed, adding that Porec certainly wants to become a base for different profiles of athletes and various sports, such as handball, football, and cycling.

Valamar Riviera and its Istrian destinations Porec and Rabac are actively involved in the development of cycling tourism.

“We believe that the main levers for the development of bike tourism are content creation and offers for cycling tourists. The terrain configuration in Istria, the excellent infrastructure and facilities of our hotels, adapted to active guests and professional athletes, are the basis for the development of a great cycling tourism offer. At Valamar Riviera, we strategically develop the destinations where we do business using our resources and their full potential to offer our guests exactly what they are looking for,” said Davor Brenko, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Valamar Riviera, who supports this major project.

Brenko adds that the fully equipped bike center currently in Rabac is planned to open in Porec next year. Furthermore, the official partner of this event is the world-famous Israel Cycling Academy cycling team from Tel Aviv, which has as many as 29 wins this year, and is specific in that it brings together members of different nationalities.

"You have a great track configuration, beautiful sea, and a great climate, which is why we are a proud partner of the event. But we are especially looking forward to our stay in Istria and the excellent treatment at Valamar Diamant Hotel as a base for our training camp in Israel, given the beautiful destination, excellent service and organizational references we have seen in four appearances at the Tour of Croatia and this year's CRO Race,” said Kjell Carlström, Israel Cycling Academy team director.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.