On Saturday, 20th of March, we rode the first brevet in Randonneurs Croatie calendar for 2010. The course was 203 km long with approximately 3600 m of ascent, all across the islands of Cres and Lošinj. At 7 am there was 13 randonneurs at the start line in front of the hotel ‘Televrin’, Nerezine. All of them from Croatia. After some paper work and instructions we were on our way toward the first time station in Lubenice.
Unfortunately the weather conditions were not too good, but at least it did not rain. The temperature was relatively low and therefore our stops at the time stations were short. In Lubenice there were even some snow. The 2nd and 3rd time stations were at the ferry ports Porozina and Merag. After Merag most of the climbing was done. The next leg was the longest, all the way to Mali Lošinj with a head wind that only make already hard brevet even harder. At this point most of the riders rode in couples or individually.
For the most the very last part of the brevet from Osor to Mali Lošinj and to the finish in Nerezine was the harder, even though it is the most flat part of the brevet. The finish line reached 11 participants. Among them there was the first Croatian lady randonneur Petra Gidak! She was riding superbly, like she had done tons of brevets of all distance and difficulties, had only four stops of one minute. Bravo Petra! Congratulation to all participants and finishers! In the gallery you may find some photos. These are the results:
1) Petra Gidak 10:40
2) Tomislav Buturajac 12:40
3) Siniša Babić 10:26
4) Darko Fojs 10:00
5) Dean Ribić 10:00
6) Goran Marović 12:05
7) Adis Mahmutović 10:26
8) Vedran Ivanac DNF
9) Alen Moše 12:40
10) Neven Samac DNF
11) Tomislav Božić 10:47
12) Marin Ruspić 10:26
13) Ares Buršić 10:00