Race Around Slovenia (2008)
European Ultracycling Championship

Start of the Race Around Slovenia (L to R) Juré Pozar, coorganizer and Hotel Sport manager, cyclist Uros Stoklas, participant in RAAM 2007, moderator Edo Klemenc and (at the back) Race Director Andrej Berginc

Juré Robic won the second annual Race Around Slovenia (RAS) and European Ultracycling Championship. Robic covered the 1182 km (734.6 miles) in 40 hours 29 minutes, an amazingly fast 29.2 km/h (18.2 mph)

Christoph Strasser was second in 42:50 and Marko Baloh took third in 44:30.

Gregor Primc was the first finisher not already qualified for RAAM—he finished in 46:33. Christoph Strasser and Andreas Dengler requalified for RAAM.

Three women raced including RAAM vet Hana Ebertova. Tjasa Rutar took first in 57:33, Ajda Opeka was second in 60:48 and Ebertova finished in 68:12. Rutar set the qualifying standard and Opeka requalified for RAAM—she also qualified at RAS last year.

Start of RAS. Ajda Opeka, Women's European Ultracycling Champion in Race Around Slovenia 2007 and second in Race Around Slovenia 2008.

The race started at 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 8—riders left at two-minute intervals.

The race drew a very high quality field—the familiar European riders included Robic, Strasser, Baloh, Thomas Ratschob, Andreas Dengler, Fabio Biasiolo, and Martin Kerekes. The race had a prize fund of 6,000 Euros!

Fifty riders entered the race—Slovenia, the UK, Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, Slovakia and the US were represented.

13 riders DNF'd.

Marko Baloh, Juré Robic & Christoph Strasser

Marko Baloh, Fredi Virag and Juré Robic came up with the idea the race and Andrej Berginc, Virag's crew chief from RAAM 2003, went to work organizing the race. Slovenia is too small to only go from one side to the other — Baloh holds the east-west record of 9 hours 34 minutes. Berginc developed the course around Slovenia.

Race Director Berginc runs a strict race. Fabio Biasiolo, Jean Marc Velez, Dusan Vodlan and Bojan Kos each received a 15 minute penalty for running a red light. Baloh was reprimanded for riding too long without his support vehicle. Strasser was reprimanded for not letting traffic pass and Franc Horvat was reprimanded for riding too close to another rider's support vehicle.

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Results

Men	Time
Juré Robic, 43, SLO	40:29, Permanently RQd
Christoph Strasser, 26, AUT	42:50, Previously RAAM Qualified
Marko Baloh, 41, SLO	44:30, Permanently RQd
Thomas Ratschob, 34, SUI	45:04, Previously RQd
Gregor Primc, 24, SLO	46:33, RAAM Qualified
Andreas Dengler, 40, AUT	53:06, RAAM Qualified
Miran Stanovnik, 44, SLO	53:46
Tomaz Percic, 42, SLO	53:50
Franci Horvat, 37, SLO	54:28
Erik Rosenstein, 29, SLO	55:57
Zlatko Drofenik, 41, SLO	56:28
Marko Kopac, 53, SLO	57:01, RAAM Qualified
Matevz Lapanja, 28, SLO	57:03
Zvone Hasemali, 50, SLO	58:56
Mitja Smrekar, 28, SLO	59:34
Miran Modic, 46, SLO	60:04
Martin Kerekes, 33, SVK	60:52
Ivan Zupec, 44, SLO	61:01
Uros Brsec, 35, SLO	61:06
Blaz Kavcic, 25, SLO	62:29
Luka Cernuta, 30, SLO	62:58
Karsten Euling, 39, GER	63:49
Stefan Zlebic, 52, SLO	64:12
Janez Pirnar, 50, SLO	64:15
Blaz Krstic, 23, SLO	64:28
Ivan Skof, 49, SLO	64:29
Rudi Stigl, 52, SLO	64:39
Bostjan Pecar, 33, SLO	65:01
Uros Sodja, 25, SLO	66:30
Evgen Vizintin, 43, SLO	68:10
Women	Time
Tjasa Rutar, 25, SLO	57:33, RAAM Qualified
Ajda Opeka, 28, SLO	60:28, RAAM Qualified
Hanka Ebertova, CZE	68:12