International mountain bike race XCO Samobor

Equally attractive to cyclist and visitors, this traditional mountain bike race XCO Samobor is organized by the Mountain Bike Club Šišmiš. It takes place in June on a unique route starting in the centre of Samobor, leading through the most beautiful woodland parts in the vicinity of the town centre – through the Tepec Forest Park, passing next to the Saint Ana’s Chapel, beneath the Old Town and near the Samobor Museum and park. Over 300 competitors from Europe ride this striking route whose main attraction is the fact that both start and finish are on the King Tomislav Square, where numerous visitors gather years and years again.

The present route is familiar to the competitors by being rather demanding both physically and technically, with a difficult yet attractive "log" downhill and equally demanding downhill by the stairs beneath the Samobor Old Town.

The first race was held in 1994 on the peak Veliki Dol making this cycling event the oldest mountain bike race in Croatia and one of the oldest in Europe. It is therefore included in the calendar of the International Cycling Federation which is a sufficient proof of the level to which the Šišmiš Mountain Bike Club raised this competition.

So far the race has hosted some great names in the mountain bike scene: Manuel Fumic, brothers Luca and Daniele Braidot, Tanja Žakelj, Yana Belomoina, Blaža Klemenčić, Barbara Benko, Andras Parti, Alexander Gehbauer, Sergii Rysenko, Catriel Soto, Uwe Hochenwarter, as well as the best Croatian cyclists Pavao Roset, Đani Simčić, Filip Turk and many others.

Read more on: www.bbk-sismis.hr.