Cycling festival in Kranj
once again attracted numerous cycling and socializing enthusiasts, who gathered on the last weekend of July to enjoy exciting competitions and spectacular races. The event took place at various venues throughout the city, adding a special charm to the entire event.
On Saturday (July 22), cyclists began their competition program in the afternoon with a criterium race through the streets of Kranj. In between, children who do not yet train in cycling also had their chance to have fun and participate at 6:30 p.m. But the real surprise came before the night criterium, when the exceptional cyclist Jan Polanc ended his sporting career with a lap of honor. This was followed by the highlight of the evening – the night criterium for the senior category, which was a real cycling spectacle for the spectators. After the race, the atmosphere was further enlivened by a concert by Mitja Šinkovec, who ensured an unforgettable end to the evening for everyone present.
On the day of the event, the streets of Kranj were exceptionally lively, as cyclists competed in various categories. Among the outstanding achievements, the members of the POGI TEAM UAE GENERALI team performed excellently and achieved impressive results. Ažbe Hvastija won the boys' C category, followed by Andrej Gregorčič and Gašper Mesec. Franci Krajnc won the boys' B category, with Urban Hvastija in second place and Gal Klun in third. Miha Otoničar was the best in the boys' A category. The younger juniors were represented by Bora Ebner, while Marcel Skok won the older juniors category.
The representatives of the BTC CITY LJUBLJANA SCOTT team also performed excellently at the event. Lara Šetina won among the girls B, while Lina Mehle won among the girls A. The younger juniors took second place with Taja Mehle, while the older juniors took first place with Eva Potočnik. In the women's category, Nika Bobnar took the top spot.
The results are available at prijave.se.
The highlight of the entire event was Sunday's race – the 55th anniversary Grand Prix of Kranj I GP Kranj 2023 powered by I feel Slovenia, in memory of Filip Majcen. The route ran around Kranj and thrilled both competitors and spectators alike. The organizers promised strong international competition, and indeed, 24 teams and 160 cyclists took part in the race. The race was very demanding, as the competitors had to complete 13 laps, totaling 158.6 km. The climb up Jelenov klanec was particularly exciting, as it is already recognized as one of the most demanding parts of the race in Kranj.
The cyclists of the LJUBLJANA GUSTO SANTIC team competed excellently, with Dylan Hopkins achieving an excellent 7th place.
All praise to the organizers for an excellently executed event that thrilled both participants and spectators alike. The cycling festival in Kranj is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the cycling season in Slovenia and will certainly be remembered for a long time to come. Congratulations to all participants and winners of excellent results!
Older juniors also competed in Italy
The results of the Coppa Fratelli Granzotto race, which took place on Sunday (July 23), gave even more reasons to celebrate, as the POGI TEAM UAE GENERALI cyclists proved themselves with their exceptional performance. In the second lap of the race, a breakaway group formed, in which Gašper Klanjšček and Marcel Skok shone. Marcel Skok ultimately took an excellent 7th place, while Kubo Husar also shone with third place in the sprint stages.
