Chasing a Rainbow Through Serbia
My Road to Gran Fondo Novi Sad
The decision was made during a training ride in the hills above Barcelona. I had been putting in long hours on the bike and accumulating kilometres week after week. But something was missing. I wanted a goal. Something to look forward to. Something that would push me beyond simply training for the sake of training. It had been several years since I had lined up for a major international race, and I wanted to test myself again. More importantly, I wanted the chance to qualify for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships.
That evening at home, doing that internet search that we cyclists frequently explore, and with me still thinking about the ride, I found myself scrolling through the UCI Gran Fondo World Series calendar. One event caught my attention: Novi Sad, Serbia. Yes, I know that it still conjures up particular images for many people – and those events were so real that it’s understandable – but this country in the heart of Central Europe and the Balkans has a longer history than those events of the late 20th century, and Serbia had been on my travel bucket list for years.
Like many people, when I thought about the country, I thought about Belgrade—the capital, the history, the culture and the energy that these days draws visitors from across Europe for the right reasons. Novi Sad, however, was a place I knew almost nothing about. I had never visited, never researched it, and honestly hadn’t given it much thought before seeing its name on the race calendar. However, only a few clicks late and I was registered.
The attraction of challenging yourself
The attraction wasn’t just another Gran Fondo. It was the possibility of something bigger. Like every event in the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, Novi Sad offered qualification for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. Finish in the top 25% of your age group and the reward isn’t a medal or a T-shirt — it’s a ticket to race for a rainbow jersey. For amateur cyclists, that’s as close as most of us will ever get to feeling like a professional. And so, only a few weeks later, I arrived in Serbia with my bike and plenty of curiosity about what awaited me and the hope that my training had been enough.
My bike setup: Time Scylon aero bike, fitted with Particle Hyperlight 45/52 wheels, a Selle Italia saddle, and Pirelli P Zero Race SL-R tyres. It’s a setup I know intimately and trust completely when the road turns uphill, the pace rises, and every watt counts. However, I wanted to balance lightness with the necessary handling and responsiveness, and to get these elements working in harmony.
On arrival Novi Sad immediately felt different; most Gran Fondo’s are hosted in places already famous for cycling. Think Girona. Mallorca. The Dolomites. Novi Sad doesn’t need cycling to justify its existence. The city sits on the banks of the Danube between the river and the slopes of Fruška Gora National Park. It feels like a fascinating crossroads where Central Europe meets the Balkans. It’s already a tourism hotspot in this area of Europe, filled with history and culture. The evening before the race, the city centre was packed with cafés and restaurants. Nobody seemed particularly interested in watts, FTP or aero socks. It was refreshing and relaxing.
Getting ready to ride
Then race morning arrived. Suddenly the streets belonged to cyclists. The start line sits directly in front of the Provincial Government building in the heart of the city. Hundreds of riders from across Europe rolled into the start pens carrying the same nervous energy. Some were chasing qualification. Others were chasing personal goals. A few looked like they could have ridden straight into a professional peloton – and had probably recently left the pro and semi-pro ranks. There are a wealth of cyclists now sitting within this new grey area of being amateur and yet spending 24/7-365 as a cycling competitor on some form. I knew this was going to be a tough day riding.
The Gran Fondo Novi Sad route covers 107 kilometres with approximately 1,800 metres of elevation gain. Three key climbs define the race and shape the final result. As the neutralised start rolled out through the city, I found myself wondering whether I’d underestimated the race. The answer arrived 11 kilometres later. That’s where the first major climb begins. Groups exploded. Riders were dropped. The race settled into that familiar Gran Fondo rhythm: full gas, brief recovery, then full gas again. The strongest riders used the climbs to create gaps. Everyone else was trying to limit losses.
I remember looking down at my computer and seeing numbers I would have preferred not to see. I also remember looking up. Beautiful forests lined much of the course, providing welcome shade on a warm day. At other moments the road opened into wide fields and rolling countryside, with views stretching across the landscape. For a few moments I forgot I was racing. That’s rare. Most races become a blur of suffering and statistics. Novi Sad managed to remain a journey.
The second climb came around kilometre 50. Then comes the final climb and the rolling roads across the ridge of Fruška Gora, where every acceleration matters and every weakness is exposed. Then, the final kilometres back toward the city were fast and demanding. Before I could pause, it was suddenly all over. Months of training reduced to a number on a results sheet. Thankfully though, this time, the answer was a good one and I crossed the finish line as the second overall female rider and secured qualification for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships – the rainbow jersey dream would continue.
Post-race reflections
In truth, the race itself went surprisingly smoothly. The only real problem of the weekend came after the finish line – the trophy. It was enormous. Getting it back to the hotel while managing a bike and all my equipment turned out to be more complicated than any of the three climbs! Thankfully, one of the race photographers came to the rescue and helped me. The adventure continued at the airport, where I discovered the trophy was far too big for my bike bag; and so, while the bike travelled in its case, the trophy travelled with me as hand luggage.
Did I qualify for the World Championships? Absolutely, yes! But the result wasn’t the only thing I that brought home from Serbia, because the real discovery wasn’t only that I had earned a place at the Worlds, it was discovering a side of Serbia I never expected to find and which was refreshing. Everyone talks about Belgrade. Everyone talks about Girona. Everyone talks about Mallorca. Few people talk about Novi Sad. For me, after one weekend in Serbia, I suspect that this won’t remain true for long. Serbia is different these days, and it’s focusing on its culture and sublime scenery to attract cultural and sports tourists for the right reasons to this amazing place in the heart of Europe.
With roads, facilities and landscapes to rival anywhere, I believe that Novi Sad will soon be a destination choice for cyclists from all over the world. All able to share in the relaxed and warm welcome that I’d been lucky enough to experience myself, on my journey to the end of the rainbow. Where to next – who knows. What I do know though, is that there’ll be a challenge involved!
