(Great atmosphere and turnout at CROULTRA 2024.
The 24-hour cycling ultramarathon was held in Oriovac for the second time
Overall PDF results for 2024 edition are available here.
The CROULTRA 24-hour cycling ultramarathon was held for the second time in the Republic of Croatia in the Brod-Posavina County, in the Municipality of Oriovac.
The now well-known CroUltra race started on June 7. and lasted 24 hours without interruption. This year, CroUltra received the status of the European Championship granted by WUCA which is a great sign of prestige for CroUltra, a part Bike Passion brand. The key organization in the organization is the association Abacus from Oriovac, founded in 2022. Dami Zupi, the president, Tomislav Obradović and Matija Nedaća created Abacus with one goal, which is to promote cycling.
With the prestigious status of the European Championship in three categories: 24h, 12h, 6h in which men, women, couples and a team of 4 riders are scored, this year CroUltra became the first championship in ultra-cycling with categories for para-cycling. The two who won the title of European champions are Andrej Rotar in 12h man solo and Anej Doplihar in 6h man solo.
“This year, Anej Doplihar, a Slovenian paralympian, and Andrej Rotar, a Slovenian amateur competitor, participated in CroUltra and showed that everything is possible. Both of them covered 189 km and deserved the victory in their category. We believe that in 2025 CroUltra will attract a larger number of paracyclists. Bike Passion as an umbrella brand and through the CroUltra race wants to raise awareness of sports for the disabled and expand opportunities for their inclusion. Varga Vanja, PR and marketing and co-owner of Bike Passion, told us.
“For me, it was the first time that I participated in such an event where not only the strength of the cyclist is important, but also the preparation in the head. I drove the 6-hour race by myself, I fought with myself and in the end I finished successfully and most importantly, I enjoyed the ride. Kudos to the organizer of this event, who took care of the safety of us cyclists in traffic and support throughout the race. I hope that this event will take place every year and that my racing schedule will allow me to do so, so that we can see each other again at the start of CroUltra 2025,” shared Anej Doplihar.
Andrej Rotar described his experience with the words “I participated in the 12-hour cycling marathon CroUltra 2024 in Oriovac, Croatia with a hand bike. The organizers did their best to make it happen without any problems, the local population cheered nicely, the police and firefighters looked after us in traffic… In short, great. Competitively, I had a higher goal in terms of mileage than I achieved, but realistically I have to be satisfied with the high heat. Next year I will improve that too. Match rating 10/10.”
The winner of the heaviest category, 24h solo overall ranking, is last year’s winner, Slovenian Stanislav Verstovšek, who defended his title with 777km, 37 laps. The second-placed Englishman Chris Hopkinson drove 36 laps, 756 km. The third-placed domestic competitor Igor Božanić had a total of 35 laps, that is, 735 km.
Chris Hopkinson is first in the 50+ solo men category with 36 laps, 756km. Austrian Thomas Hribering took second place with 34 laps and 714km, and Slovenian Vladimir Apollonio took third place with 30 laps and 630km.
In the women’s 24h solo overall standings, the winner is the German Lisa Bromel with 35 laps and 735km. Behind her is Ziortza Villa from Spain with 34 laps and 714km, and the third place is the Croatian Karla Čović with 23km and 483km. In the category of 50+ women, the winner is Katarzyna Karewicz, from Poland, with 27 laps and a total of 576 km.
Grega Kološa and Andrej Majcen from Slovenia are the winners in the 24h team category with 32 laps and 672km.
In the team 4 category, the first place team is Slovenian VirtuSlo Endurance with 44 laps and 924km. The second-placed team is Hrvatski DJ3 with 35 laps, 735km and the third-placed team, also a local team, is Šokci with 32 laps and 672km.
In the 12h solo men category, there were the biggest tensions, and the difference between the three on the podium was literally one second. All three have 22 laps and 462km. The winner, Slovenian Erik Rosenstein, was the first to reach the finish line. Arvis Sprude from Latvia is a second behind him and Daniel Steinehauser from Germany is another second behind him.
At 12h solo men 50+, Swiss Reider Marco is first with 22 laps and 462km. Behind him is the Croatian Ares Buršić with 20 laps and 420km, and the third place is the Slovenian Mitja Žitnik with 18 laps and 378km.
For women, in the 12h solo category, Marina Nenadović won with 15 laps and 315km, and Zrinka Banovčić took second place with 13 laps and 273km. Both contestants are Croatian.
In the category 6h solo men, the winner is the Slovenian Darinko Stich with 10 laps and 210km. Second place with the same result and only 9 seconds difference is Croatian Tihomir Golner. The third-placed domestic competitor is Branko Prlina with 9 laps and 189km.
In the 6h women’s category, all three competitors are Croatian, and the winner is Vanja Varga with 9 laps and 189km. Marijana Ruskaj took second place with 6 laps and 126 km. Third-placed Natalija Mrzljak Vučinić with the same number of laps and km was only 2 seconds behind her.
The results of all competitors and passing times for each lap are available HERE (PDF).
The new CroUltra record is 924km and in 2024. as many as 10 countries participated in CroUltra this year, Latvia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Poland and Spain. The main partner and host is the Municipality of Oriovac, and the key support is the Tourist Board of Meridiana Slavonica, whose director, Mateja Čorak, recognized cycling as an extremely important addition to the tourist offer that brings active tourists and has a positive impact on the local population.
“I believe that absolutely every individual who was involved in the “CroUltra” project is extremely proud, first of all, of themselves, and consequently of the local community, which once again gave its support to a successful race. Such projects are extremely important for the area of TZ Meridiana Slavonica for several reasons – getting to know the destination, creating a tourist product based on cycle tourism, encouraging tourist consumption, etc.. I am grateful and happy that the ambassador of the project, Dami Zupi, recognized Oriovac Municipality an area of such potential, and the least we can do is to provide it with full support during the organization,” Mateja Čorak, director of TZ Meridiana Slavonica, told us.
“We would like to thank the Municipality of Oriovac and Meridiani Slavonica and all sponsors, partners, friends and volunteers who once again created an unforgettable experience and a race worthy of the European championship title together. Congratulations to the winners, but also to all competitors and to the support of their loved ones and teams, without which participation in such a demanding race is not possible. I invite all cyclists to experience the CroUltra trail for themselves, which is one of the routes in the cycling guide of Meridiana Slavonica, and all cyclists who are already into ultra-cycling or want to try it, to book 23.5.2025. for the third CroUltra European Championship,” said Dami Zupi, CroUltra Race Director and co-owner of Bike Passion.
During the weekend, the center of Oriovac was a colorful and lively place. In addition to the starting line, campers and camps of competitors, a rich children’s program delighted those present during Friday and Saturday, and on Saturday, the atmosphere was “boiled up” by the end of the CroUltra race with the 26th Fišijada with the Legato Band. In addition to everything that happened this weekend, CroUltra also had a charitable component – the organizer donated a bicycle to a girl from a family in need of support.
We invite you to visit Oriovac, cycle with the newly created cycle tourism guide Bike through Meridiana Slavonica. One of the routes is the CroUltra route, which you plan to sign up for on 23.5.2025.
Odlična atmosfera i odaziv na CROULTRA 2024.
24-satni biciklistički ultramaraton po drugi puta je održan u Oriovcu
CROULTRA 24-satni biciklistički ultramaraton se po drugi puta održao u Republici Hrvatskoj na području Brodsko-posavske županije, u Općini Oriovac.
Sad već poznata utrka CroUltra krenula je 7.6. i trajala 24h bez prekida. Ove godine CroUltra je dobila status Europskog prvenstva od strane WUCA organizacije, što ima velik znak prestiža za CrouUltru koja je dio Bike Passion brenda. U organizaciji je ključna udruga Abacus iz Oriovca osnovana 2022. godine. Dami Zupi, predsjednik, Tomislav Obradović i Matija Nedaća su Abacus kreirali s jednim ciljem, a to je promicanje biciklizma.
Uz prestižan status Europskog prvenstva u tri kategorije: 24h, 12h, 6h unutar kojih se boduju se muškarci, žene, parovi te tim od 4 vozača, ove godine CroUltra je postala prvo prvenstvo u ultrabiciklizmu s kategorijama za parabiciklizam.
„Ove su godine Anej Doplihar, Slovenski paralimpijac i Andrej Rotar, slovenski amaterski natjecatelj sudjelovali na CroUltri i pokazali da je sve moguće. Obojica su napravila 189km i zaslužila pobjedu u svojoj kategoriji. Vjerujemo da će u 2025. CroUltra privući veći broj parabiciklista. Bike Passion kao krovni brend i kroz CroUltra utrku želi potaknuti svijest o sportu za invalide te proširiti prilike za njihovo uključivanje. „ Rekla nam je Varga Vanja, PR i marketing te suvlasnica Bike Passion-a.
„Za mene, prvi put da sam sudjelovao na takvom eventu gdje nije bitna samo snaga biciklista nego i priprema u glavi. Sam sam vozio utrku od 6 sati, borio se sam sa sobom i na kraju uspješno završio i što je najbitnije, uživao u vožnji. Sve pohvale organizatoru na ovom eventu, što se pobrinuo na sigurnosti nas biciklista u prometu i na supportu kroz utrku. Nadam se da će se ovaj event održati svake godine i da će mi moj raspored utrka to dopustiti, pa da se opet vidimo na startu CroUltra 2025.“ Podijelio je Anej Doplihar.
Andrej Rotar svoje je iskustvo opisao riječima „Sudjelovao sam na 12-satnom biciklističkom maratonu CroUltra 2024. u Oriovcu u Hrvatskoj s ručnim biciklom. Organizatori su dali sve od sebe da protekne bez ikakvih problema, lokalno stanovništvo je lijepo navijalo, policija i vatrogasci su pazili na nas u prometu… Ukratko, odlično. Natjecateljski sam imao veći cilj što se tiče kilometraže nego što sam ostvario, ali realno moram biti zadovoljan zbog velike vrućine. Sljedeće godine ću i to poboljšati. Ocjena utakmice 10/10.“
Pobjednik najteže kategorije, 24h solo ukupni poredak, je prošlogodišnji pobjednik, Slovenac Stanislav Verstovšek, koji je ovime obranio svoju titulu sa 777km, 37 krugova. Drugoplasirani Englez Chris Hopkinson odvezao je 36 krugova, 756km. Trećeplasirani domaći natjecatelj Igor Božanić imao je ukupno 35 krugova to jest, 735km.
U kategoriji 50+ prvi je Chris Hopkinson sa 36 krugova, 756km. Drugoplasirani jeAustrijanac Thomas Hribering sa 34 kruga i 714km, a trećeplasirani Slovenac Vladimir Apollonio sa 30 krugova i 630km.
U kategoriji žene 24h solo ukupni poredak, pobjednica je Njemica Lisa Bromel sa 35 krugova i 735km. Iza nje je Španjolka Ziortza Villa sa 34 kruga i 714km, a trećeplasirana je Hrvatica Karla Čović sa 23km i 483km. U kategoriji 50+ žene pobjednica je Katarzyna Karewicz, Poljakinja, sa 27 krugova i ukupno 576km.
Grega Kološa i Andrej Majcen iz Slovenije pobjednici su u 24h tim kategoriji sa 32 kruga i 672km.
U kategoriji tim 4 prvoplasirani tim je Slovenski VirtuSlo Endurance sa 44 kruga i 924km. Drugoplasirani tim je Hrvatski DJ3 sa 35 krugova, 735km i trećeplasirani, također domaći tim, su Šokci sa 32 kruga i 672km.
U kategoriji 12h solo muškarci bile su najveće tenzije, a razlike između trojice na podiju činila je doslovno jedna sekunda. Sva trojica imaju 22 kruga i 462km. Prvi je na cilj stigao pobjednik je Slovenac Erik Rosenstein. Skundu iza njega je Latvijac Arvis Sprude i još jednu sekundu iza njega Nijemac Daniel Steinehauser.
Na 12h muškarci 50+ prvi je Švicarac Reider Marco sa 22 kruga i 462km. Iza njega je Hrvat Ares Buršić sa 20 krugova i 420km, a trećeplasirani je Slovenac Mitja Žitnik sa 18 krugova i 378km.
Kod žena je u kategoriji 12h solo pobjedu odnijela Marina Nenadović sa 15 krugova i 315km, a drugoplasirana je Zrinka Banovčić sa 13 krugova i 273km. Obje natjecateljice su Hrvatice.
U kategoriji 6h solo muškarci pobjednik je Slovenac Darinko Stich sa 10 krugova i 210km. Drugoplasirani sa jednakim rezultatom i samo 9 sekundi razlike je Hrvat Tihomir Golner. Trećeplasirani domaći natjecatelj je Branko Prlina sa 9 krugova i 189km.
U kategoriji 6h žene sve tri natjecateljice su Hrvatice, a pobjednica je Vanja Varga sa 9 krugova i 189km. Drugoplasirana je Marijana Ruskaj sa 6 krugova i 126km. Trećeplasirana Natalija Mrzljak Vučinić s jednakim brojem krugova i km bila je tek 2 sekunde iza nje.
Rezultati svih natjecatelja te prolazna vremena za svaki krug dostupna su OVDJE (PDF).
Novi rekord CroUltra utrke je 924km, a ove je godine sudjelovalo čak 10 zemalja, Latvia, Bosna i Hercegovina, Italija, Njemačka, Švicarska, Slovenija, Srbija, Hrvatska, Poljska i Španjolska. Glavni partenri i domaćin je Općina Oriovac, a ključna je podrška Turističke zajednice Meridiana Slavonica čija je direktorica, Mateja Čorak, prepoznala biciklizam kao iznimno bitan dodatak turističke ponude koji dovodi aktivne turiste, a ima i pozitivan utjecaj na lokalno stanovništvo.
„Vjerujem da je apsolutno svaki pojedinac koji je bio uključen u projekt “CroUltra” iznimno ponosan prvenstveno na sebe, a posljedično i na lokalnu zajednicu koja je ponovno dala svoj obol uspješnoj utrci. Ovakvi projekti su od iznimne važnosti za područje TZ Meridiana Slavonica iz više razloga – upoznavanje s destinacijom, kreiranje turističkog proizvoda temeljenog na cikloturizmu, poticanje turističke potrošnje i sl.. Zahvalna sam i sretna što je ambasador projekta, Dami Zupi, prepoznao upravo Općinu Oriovac kao područje takvog potencijala, a najmanje što mi možemo učiniti je pružiti mu punu podršku pri organizaciji.“ Rekla nam je Mateja Čorak, direktorica TZ Meridiana Slavonica.
„Zahvaljujemo se Općini Oriovac i Meridiani Slavonica te svim sponzorima, partnerima, prijateljima i volonterima koji su još jednom zajedno kreirali nezaboravno iskustvo i utrku vrijednu titule europskog prvenstva. Čestitke pobjednicima, ali svim natjecateljima te podršci njihovih bližnjih i timova bez koje sudjelovanje na ovakvo zahtjevnoj utrci nije moguće. Pozivam sve bicikliste da iskuse i sami CroUltra stazu koja je jedna od ruta u cikloturističkom vodiču Meridiane Slavonica, a sve bicikliste koji su već u ultrabiciklizmu ili žele to probati da rezerviraju 23.5.2025. za treće CroUltra europsko prvenstvo.“ Rekao je Dami Zupi, Direktor utrke CroUltra i suvlasnik Bike Passion-a.
Tijekom vikenda, centar Oriovca je bio šareno i živo mjesto. Uz startnu liniju, kampere i tabore natjecatelja, bogat dječji program oduševio je prisutne tijekom petka i subote, a u subotu je atmosferu pred kraj CroUltra utrke „zakuhala“ i 26. Fišijada uz Legato Band. Uz sve što se dogodilo ovog vikenda, CroUltra imala je i dobrotvornu komponentu – organizator je donirao jedan bicikl djevojci iz socijalno potrebite obitelji.
Pozivamo vas da posjetite Oriovac, biciklirate uz novoizrađeni cikloturistički vodič Biciklom kroz Meridianu Slavonicu. Jedna od ruta je upravo i ruta CroUltre na koju se planirajte prijaviti 23.5.2025.
HRVATSKA VERZIJA (SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH)
CroUltra je ultra-maratonska biciklistička vožnja na kojoj se vozi unaprijed zacrtanom rutom u Oriovcu, u blizini Slavonskog Broda.
CroUltra je prvi 24-satni cestovni biciklistički maraton u Hrvatskoj. Pogodan je za sve koji žele testirati svoju izdržljivost i provjeriti koliko kilometara mogu prijeći u 24 sata. Istovremeno se održava i 6. te 12. satni maraton.
Start 24-satne utrke bit će 30. svibnja 2025. u 18:00 sati u malom mjestu smještenom na istoku Hrvatske, u blizini grada Slavonski Brod, točnije u mjestu Oriovac. CroUltra će se održati na ravnoj stazi dugoj 20 km kroz područje općine Oriovac. Pobjednik će biti onaj koji prijeđe najviše kilometara u 6., 12. odnosno 24 sata.
“Lijepa prilika da se okušate u izdržljivoj vožnji bicikla”
Organizacijski odbor CroUltra
CroUltra će se organizirati za solo natjecatelje, za 2-članske i za 4-članske ekipe (ženske, muške i mješovite). Pogodan je za čiste početnike u biciklizmu izdržljivosti ili biciklizmu općenito, jer nije potreban prateći tim. Na startno-ciljnom prostoru bit će osigurana hrana i piće za natjecatelje tijekom cijele utrke. Nije važno koliko ćete puta stati, ali preporučujemo brza zaustavljanja jer sat ne staje.
Na startu se očekuje dosta najboljih domačih i stranih ultra biciklista. Broj natjecatelja bit će ograničen na 200, vrijeme prijave će se uzimati u obzir.
Dobrodošli u srce Slavonije, mi ćemo se pobrinuti da vam CroUltra ostane u lijepom sjećanju zbog prekrasnih cesta i gostoljubivih ljudi.
Općina Oriovac
ENGLISH VERSION
CroUltra is an ultra-marathon bike ride on a predetermined route in Oriovac, near Slavonski Brod, Croatia.
CroUltra is the first 24-hour road cycling marathon in Croatia. It is suitable for anyone who wants to test their endurance and check how many kilometers they can cover in 24 hours. At the same time, the 6th and 12th hour marathons are held.
The start of the 24-hour race will be on May 30th, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in a small town located in the east of Croatia, near the town of Slavonski Brod, more precisely in the town of Oriovac. CroUltra will be held on a 20 km long flat track through the Oriovac municipality. The winner will be the one who covers the most kilometers in 6, 12 or 24 hours.
“Nice opportunity to try endurance cycling”
Organizational CroUltra committee
CroUltra will be organized for solo competitors, for 2-member and for 4-member teams (female, male and mixed). It is suitable for pure beginners in endurance cycling or cycling in general, as no support team is required. At the start-finish area, food and drinks will be provided for the competitors throughout the race. It doesn’t matter how many times you stop, but we recommend quick stops because the clock doesn’t stop.
Many of the best domestic and foreign ultra cyclists are expected at the start. The number of competitors will be limited to 200, the registration time will be taken into account.
Welcome to the heart of Slavonia, we will make sure that CroUltra remains a fond memory for you because of the beautiful roads and hospitable people.
Municipality of Oriovac