The Impromptu Plan
I didn’t plan on doing any gravel racing this year. But when Max asked if anyone would like to ride Nova Eroica Istria and share the experience, staying quiet didn’t really feel like an option. So, as one does, I signed up for the long route: 155 kilometers with 2,000 meters of elevation, for the full Istrian experience.
Fast forward to Thursday, two days before the race, or rather the gravel and culinary adventure through northern Istria. I’ve just picked up the race package and a goodie box (yes, an actual box, good thing I had a backpack), and I’m sitting in an apartment in Novigrad, trying to put this introduction together.
Before getting into the ride itself, it’s worth explaining what Nova Eroica Istria actually is.
Is it a race? Well … Yes, if you want it to be.
On the long course, there are three timed sectors totaling a modest 7 kilometers that ultimately decide the winner. The rest? Pure riding. And eating. Because scattered along the route are seven refreshment stops.
Seven kilometers of racing, seven refreshment points. Coincidence? I’m not convinced.
Coincidence or not, the event organisation was top-notch. The entire town of Novigrad transformed into an event village, serving as a great example of how cycling events can bring a few hundred people (there were almost 400 registered riders) and plenty of life into a coastal town in early season.
Friday: The Real Beginning
The nice thing about the event is that it doesn’t really start on race day.
On Friday, the event already hosts a shorter family-friendly loop. And that’s where the tone of the whole weekend becomes clear. This isn’t just about numbers, watts, or who crosses the line first. It’s about getting people on bikes and showing them Istria the right way, slowly enough to notice things.
We joined the Friday ride, spinning through quiet roads, vineyard-lined double tracks, and a nice gravel road along the coastline. Kids, parents, seasoned riders all mixed in that slightly chaotic but very wholesome cycling way. No pressure, just riding, and the obligatory midpoint refreshment stop in an old monastery with a picturesque garden.
The (Long) Route: Beauty With Teeth
That same spirit carries over to the main route, just with longer distances, sharper climbs, and, inevitably, a bit more fatigue creeping in.
The long course is a proper Istrian sampler platter. You get everything: smooth white gravel, rougher farm tracks, even some singletrack, punchy climbs that seem to stack one after another, and descents that keep you on your toes all the way to the bottom. It’s the kind of route where rhythm is hard to find, not because it’s poorly designed, but because it constantly asks you to adjust.
One moment you’re cruising through open countryside, the next you’re grinding up a climb toward a hilltop village that looks straight out of a postcard. Then comes a descent where you’re half racing, half trying not to eject your bottles, or in my case, your spare tube.
The route was really well marked. Honestly, you could probably ride it without even loading the GPX onto your bike computer. Maybe a challenge for next year.
I was surprised by some pretty rough sections. I mean, it is Istria, I know it quite well, and this should not surprise me. But the event regulations only allow gravel bikes, and I somehow envisioned 155 km of champagne gravel.
That did not mean I wasn’t prepared. I rode my trusty Rozalija fitted with 2.1” Schwalbe Thunder Burts. Perfect for chunkier sections but still pretty damn fast on smooth gravel and tarmac.
Refreshment Stops Done Right
And just as things start to feel properly hard, a refreshment point appears, perfectly timed, almost suspiciously so.
The refreshment points were another highlight of the day. From the apple-vanilla crostata, a perfect breakfast at the first stop in Brtonigla, to charcoal-enriched focaccia with burrata and sun-dried tomatoes and olives in Grožnjan, and truffle pasta in Livade right after the last climb of the day, the food was plentiful, a proper culinary experience.
Since my dear wife, kids, and Stark the dog were patiently waiting for me at the finish line, I tried not to spend too much time at the stops and even had to turn down the wine offered around 10 AM at the Monte Rosso refreshment point. I am a responsible cyclist, husband, and father after all 🤭.
The “Race” Within the Ride
Since this is a race report, it’s only fair to talk about how the race actually went.
I’ll give you two clichés, both very true. First, even if it’s “only” 7 kilometers of racing, once people pin on a number, it’s never an easy day out. Second, it’s not the course that makes the race hard; it’s the riders, or in this case, yourself.
So naturally, we did not exactly take it easy, at least not until the first refreshment point. Oh, the refreshment points 😍.
As for me?
I imploded halfway through the first sector. The second one was much more controlled, finally something resembling a plan, but then I managed to lose my spare tube on a rough descent just before the final punch to the line.
Looking back, the smarter move would have been to finish the sector and come back for the tube. At the time, somewhere near max heart rate, and with my brain not exactly cooperating, I turned around and went back for it mid-sector.
I attacked the last sector starting at kilometer 120, a 2.5 km climb just shy of an average gradient of 10%, at a steady pace, which is a polite way of saying it was all I had left 😂.
So, who is Nova Eroica Istria really for?
If you’re chasing pure racing, numbers, tactics, and full-gas efforts from start to finish, you might find yourself slightly confused by the format. Seven kilometers of timing doesn’t leave much room for race strategy.
But if you enjoy riding your bike hard and stopping for truffle pasta, if you appreciate a route that challenges you just enough while constantly reminding you why you ride in the first place, then this event hits a very sweet spot.
It’s for people who like their gravel with a bit of chaos, a bit of culture, and a lot of character.
And, maybe most importantly, it’s for those who are perfectly fine calling it a race, right up until the next refreshment point.
