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United States >> 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Series >> Laura Šimenc Kramar and Matic Grošelj take Victory at 2026 UCI Istria Granfondo
 
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Laura Šimenc Kramar and Matic Grošelj take Victory at 2026 UCI Istria Granfondo

The 12th edition of the marathon started and finished in Umag with an even richer program this year with a recreational ride Giro di Umago with over 1,500 cyclists participating

Laura Šimenc Kramar and Matic Grošelj take Victory 2026 UCI Istria Granfondo

Northwestern Istria showed this weekend why it is the leading cycling tourism region in Europe - almost 1500 cyclists participated in the Istria Gran Fondo and thus turned Umag into the center of sports events.

The hq of the event this year was the Stella Maris Resort. The largest number of competitors came from Slovenia and Italy, and a significant share were cyclists from Austria and other European countries, which further emphasized the international dimension of the event.
 
The event featured a 105km Gran Fondo and 80km Medio Fondo with a timed hillclimb.
 
In the men's race, a breakaway of 6 riders went away including Groselj, Kovavic, Raimondi, Colombo, Karbowy and Ceriani. in the finale ex-pro Matic Groselj (A2U bikes) outsprinted Miran Kovavic (ASD SWATT CLUB) and Alex Raimondio (Bcp reparto corse) with Colombo, Karbowy and Ceriani 8 seconds behind.
 
Matic Grošelj's pro cycling career was marked by notable achievements, including his 3rd place in the Gran Premio Industrie del Marmo and 2nd place in the stage Giro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia. 
 
In the women's race, Laura Simenc Kramar (Santini Squadra Corse) attacked and soloed to the finish line 4 mins 45s ahead of Vesna  Alegro Baznik (KD SPRINT) in second and  Ela  Muench (VCMeilen) in third place. 
Laura Simenc Kramar has previously won the 2025 L'Etape Slovenia, the 2024 Maratona dles Dolomites, the 9th edition of Istria Granfondo.
 
Laura Šimenc Kramar and Matic Grošelj take Victory 2026 UCI Istria Granfondo
 
In the Medio Fondo, Italian Davide Breccia and Austrian Julia Hallwirth  were the fastest.
 
The novelty of this year's edition was the recreational ride Giro di Umago, which brought together many cycling enthusiasts of all generations, allowing them to socialize while riding without competitive pressure. In addition, the Mini Fondo race, intended for the youngest, aroused great interest, which once again confirmed that Istria Gran Fondo nurtures sports culture from an early age.
 
The most successful competitors, including the top 25 percent by category, have secured their place at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, which will be held in Niseko, Japan, at the end of August.
 
2026 UCI Istria Granfondo Men's Top 10 
 
1. Matic GROŠELJ SLO A2U bikes 2:34:05
2. Miran KOVACIC SLO ASD SWATT CLUB
3. Alex RAIMONDI ITA Bcp reparto corse
4. Raul COLOMBO ITA bcp bike 8s
5. Marcin KARBOWY POL WALBET Team
6. Marco CERIANI ITA +14s
7. Ziga GROSELJ SLO KK Izvir Vipava +4m 22s
8. Ian PERAN CRO Bk Posedarje
9. Patrik MIKAC SLO Tuš Slovenija
10.  Marko EMERŠIC SLO Team BTS Company
 
2026 UCI Istria Granfondo Women's Top 10
 
1. Laura ŠIMENC KRAMAR SLO Santini Squadra Corse 2:47:02 --
2. Vesna ALEGRO BAZNIK SLO KD SPRINT +4'45''
3. Ela MUENCH SUI VCMeilen +4'29''
4. Tajda GLAMOCAK SLO KK Pocinkovalnica Celje +37''
5. Elis SIMEONI ITA Ciclomecanico miane bike team +47''
6. Andrea HEGED CRO BK Dinamo +5''
7. Zarja ZVER SLO +8'52''
8. Eva VIDAK SLO +2'26''
9. Simone STEFFEN SUI Switzerland Cycling Unit +24''
10. Elena PETROVA MKD
 
Link to 2026 Istria Granfondo Results: https://protime.si/hr/dogodek/12-istria-granfondo-2026
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