A pink race in Slovenia for the first time 103 years ago

The race in Italy will be visiting Slovenia again at 14th stage on Saturday, May 24th. In Goriška Brda and Nova Gorica, they strive to conjure up a real cheerleading mood.

Judging by the experience so far, they will not have any major problems.

This will be the eighth hosting of a pink race in our country. We remember everyone from the first to the last.

Giro in Portorož as early as 1922

It was another stage that ran from Padua to the city of flowers, which was then under Italian rule. The trial was 268 miles long. The third stage on Gir in 1922 began in the center of Portorož, the goal after 375 kilometers in Bologna.

The victory in Portorož celebrated Costante Girardengowhich is one of the legends of world cycling. In the total of Gir in 1922, which had only ten stages but enviable 3095 kilometers, the fastest Italian was Giovanni Brunero. It was his second victory of three in the total.

In 1971 for the first time in Ljubljana

It was 15. Stage, on June 5. They started in Bibione, and the goal of the stage after 201 kilometers was in Ljubljana. For the fact that the goal of the stage was right in Slovenia, he had the most credit Beno thanksSlovenian sports journalist, director and producer. The first one came through the target Italian Franco Bitosi« Cuore Matto » (Crazy Heart), who in his career on Gir celebrated 21 stage victories. The Slovenian capital was followed by Start 16. Stage, which ended in Trbiz.

With praise in Kranj as well

Then there was a longer break before Giro visited Slovenia again, which became independent in the meantime. The main initiator was again Beno Thanks. In 1994, Giro hosted Kranj. The twelfth stage began in Bibione, 204 kilometers long, and the goal was at the top of Jelen’s slope in Kranj. The next day, cyclists from Kranj drove through Rateče to Lienz in Austria.

Hauptman’s period

For the fourth time, Giro visited Slovenia in 2001. The Slovenes organized two stages. The first was the start in Lido di Jesolo, and the goal in Ljubljana, the next day the riders started in Bled and went to Gorizia, which celebrated the millennial at the time.

The stage with the goal of Ljubljana was 212 kilometers long. Andrej Hauptman was in a fugitive group. An opaque crowd of fans, along with the then president of the country Milan Kucanshe followed the race on huge screens in front of Tivoli. Hauptman finished fifth, winning Italian Denis Zanette.

Across the Black Kal viaduct

Giro came to Slovenia twice in 2004. At that time, the roaming was held in the spirit of joint cooperation with Italian and Croatian organizers, as they were both 14. Stage 15 and May 24 included all three countries. At 14. From Trieste to Pula, 166 kilometers long, and to 15. From Poreč to San Vendemiana, 229 kilometers long, about 32 kilometers of route, 64 totaled.

The first « Slovenian » stage began on Sunday, May 23, in Trieste, a villa through the village of Osp, then turned right at the then new Viaduct Črni Kal (the first flying goal for the laurel of Slovenia), climbed back towards the Karst edge and Socerb and then dropped to the turn for Socherga. She continued to Kubed and Sočerga, where she also left Slovenia for the first time.

A day later, it was one of the longest stages on the then Gir. After the start in Poreč, cyclists crossed the border at the Secovlje border crossing (the second flying goal for the laurel of Slovenia), continued their journey through the Slovenian coastal municipalities, where there were three more goals for the laurel of Slovenia in Piran and Koper, and in Portorož there were also a flying goal for the special Intergiro competition.

Promoting both mountains

The pink caravan drove through our places in 2021 on Sunday, May 23, in 15. Stage from Grade to Gorizia. The stage was promoted by the somewhere of the two Gorizia, including the symbolic integration of two tourist destinations with the exceptional potential of the Goriška Brda and the Vipava Valley.

Giro d’Italia, Gornje Cerovo. Photo: Jure Eržen/Work

Last visit to the Soča River

The nineteenth stage of Gira 2022 began in Marana Lagunare, a resort seaside town in Friuli. After exactly a hundred kilometers, the caravan reached the Italian-Slovenian border, crossed it on the Učja, followed by a descent towards the Soča past the sawmill, the path through Trnovo to Kobarid, from there for Idrsko, ascent to Livek and Livška Ravne to Kolovrat across Solar Solarji and back to Italy.

35 challenging miles were cycled across Slovenia. The ascent of Kolovrat was a turning point of the Slovenian part of the stage and also the main gathering place for fans.