Tour of Croatia kicks off in 2 days

A world famous professional cycling race, Tour of Croatia, will be held from April 22 to 26 on the 900-kilometer-long route along the Adriatic coast, Istria and inland Croatian.

The route is divided into 5 stages: Makarska-Split, Sibenik-Zadar, Plitvice-Ucka, Pula-Umag and Saint Martin-Zagreb.

The race is at the same time an ideal promotion of Croatia because it takes place throughout nine cities and six counties, and the route of the race will pass through national parks Krka and Plitvice and three nature parks - Biokovo, Velebit and Ucka.

Tour of Croatia's potential has been recognised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) which classified it in the first category, meaning that it is only a step behind the most important cycling races and grand tour races such as Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana.

Twenty professional teams from about a dozen of European countries, of which 8 World Tour teams (the best world teams), teams with Croatian cyclists, one professional Croatian team and 11 Pro Continental and Continental teams will race in Tour of Croatia. The race is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, the Croatian National Tourist Board, and the Environmental Protection Ministry.

The five-day cycling event will be broadcast on national television as well as on Eurosport channel.

The world cycling elite will start their race in Makarska and finish it in Croatia's capital.

(Hina)