After finishing second last year, Drazen Strugar (BK STORM) did not want a repeat performance at this year’s UCI Gran Fondo Novi Sad in Croatia on Sunday.

From an elite group of eight riders the 34 year-old Croatian launched a bold blistering attack with 2 kilometers to go, opening and holding a razor-thin gap all the way to the finish to secure victory.

He won the 100 kilometer long UCI Gran Fondo World Championship qualifying race in 2:43:11 with an average speed of 36.8 k/hr. Alexandros Baxevanos of Greece and Eduardo Maretinez Llarena of Spain lead the chasers across the line 3 seconds later.

5x North Macedonia National Champion Elena Petrova (AXIOS PRO SKOPJE) rode away from the women’s field to win by almost 10 minutes. The 33 year-old triumphed in 3:11:35, followed by Joanna Czerniej of Poland and Yana Vikhareva of Russia.

The 77 kilometer medio fondo saw 35 year-old Slovenian Miha Majetic (ELMONT BLED) win in solo 2:05:04. Talic Kadika of Bosnia and Herzegovina was next, with Dejan Stefanovic taking third place.

Serbian Olja Lapcevic, 51, won the women’s medio fondo in 2:50:28, shortly followed by Jovana Mandic and Vera Gusman.

Just over 400 competitors participated in Gran Fondo Novi Sad, with those finishing in the top 25% of their UCI age/gender category qualifying for next October’s UCI Gran Fondo World Championships taking place in Australia.

Complete UCI Gran Fondo Novi Sad results HERE

Photo Credit: Facebook/bkstormluka

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