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Istria is my second home and Granfondo is so much fun!

20 Dec 2018
Alexander Payer, Colours Of Sport, Istria Granfondo
by ColoursofIstria Team
Alexander Payer is a professional snowboarder from Austria who spends more than 200 days a year travelling. His social media hashtag #alexchecked highlights the best parts of different regions according to his favourite sports. He also participated in the Istria Granfondo 2018 marathon. We bring you his impressions related to this cycling event and our destination in general.

This was the first time you have taken part in the Istria Granfondo cycling marathon. What is it like being a part of this kind of event?

It’s a great feeling. I am used to sporting events – I have done ultra-marathons, tennis tournaments, and more than 400 international snowboard races, but this was my first cycling event. The feeling of how the competitors fight together to finish in their planned time is such fun.

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Did something in particular draw your attention to this race? Is this Granfondo somehow different from other sporting events you’ve taken part in?

What I liked the most about the Granfondo was that there were a great deal of amateurs. Some sporting events are becoming more and more like professional events, and they’ve lost their character of being something for everyone. At the Granfondo, it doesn’t matter if you’re fast or not. It’s all about finishing.

While riding the Granfondo, you surely had the chance to enjoy Istria’s beautiful nature. Did any part of the route strike you as particularly beautiful?

I have travelled through Istria quite a bit, and mostly the north, so I already feel at home there. It’s like a yearly routine for me to go there and enjoy the region. There is one part I like the most – the area around Grožnjan. The cycling trails are amazing, the olives are delicious, and the people are wonderful. I think it’s a really unique area.

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We all know you love sports and recreation. What do you think about the sporting amenities in this destination in general?

I have been visiting since my early childhood. We spent one week a year of tennis training in Umag or Novigrad, and we still do today. Every year around the middle of April, I hit my first tennis balls in Istria. Over the past few years, I have been visiting more and more for climbing. It’s a great love of mine, and there are some incredible rocks. All of them are well protected and in great locations. I think this is a big market for Istria. The road cycling is also amazing there. My girlfriend and I did our first endurance training camp of the Olympic season in Istria to get back in shape. My favourite loop is close to Buzet, but I will keep it a secret. It’s too cool to share…:)

Is there an activity you would especially like to try in NW Istria, but haven’t yet had the chance?

I have never been camping in Istria. But I bought a roof-top tent last spring, so this year I want to come for camping, and maybe paragliding.

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Generally, how do you like northwestern Istria – the sea, the towns, the culture, the food? Do you have a favourite place to visit here?

I’ve already said that Istria has become like a second home to me. I don’t know what I like the most about it – perhaps the culture in the interior. It’s amazing to stay in fancy towns like Rovinj or Novigrad, but for activities, I prefer the backcountry.

Are you planning to visit us again soon? Are you thinking about riding the Granfondo again next year?

I am sure to come back very soon. I already booked the tennis camp and I signed up for the 100 miles of Istria trail race.

There is a lot more for me to see and do in Istria.

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About the Author
ColoursofIstria Team consists of a part of the editorial team of the Northwestern Istria cluster website www.coloursofistria.com. People who love their native region will reveal firsthand all the secrets of Northwestern Istria and interesting sights you simply can't miss.

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The Northwestern Istria - Colours of Istria – is composed of four beautiful towns: Umag, Novigrad, Buje and Brtonigla. Colours of Istria blog visitors who might wish to plan their destination vacation, or simply find out more, have a chance to get to know about all the colours of the cluster through all the different kinds of experiences this rich region has to offer as recorded in personal recommendations and retellings of the blog's authors – all of whom are great Istria lovers. Find more info about Colours of Istria here.
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