Human Fish Gravel Race was one of those rides that started with a simple plan: take it easy, enjoy the route and spend a good day on the bike. Together with Anže, I signed up for the green course, a 118-kilometre gravel route starting near Postojna.
But once the group rolled out and the pace went up, the day slowly changed from a relaxed ride into a full-on race effort.
Ride overview:
// Location
Pivka, Slovenia
Pivka, Slovenia
// Distance
116 km
116 km
// Elevation gain
2,000 m
2,000 m
// Total time
4 h 48 min
4 h 48 min
I had been looking forward to this event for quite some time. Finally, the day arrived. I woke up early, had another big portion of rice, cocoa and honey, picked up Anže in Ljubljana and we soon made it to the event area at Plana, a beautiful camping spot near Postojna and Prestranek.
Human Fish Gravel offered three route options that year: the long red course, the green course and a shorter blue route. We signed up for the green one, 118 kilometres with around 1,900 metres of climbing. Around 70 riders lined up at the start, and somehow Anže and I found ourselves right at the front.
The plan was clear. Ride easy, enjoy the day, take in the landscape and have a good time.
Of course, that plan did not last very long.
After the first hour of high-paced riding, Anže and I split up. I saw an opportunity to close a gap with one very strong rider, went after him and managed to bridge across to the front group. From that moment on, the ride had a completely different rhythm. The route was beautiful, with one main climb and many shorter, sharp and demanding sections, especially around the 100-kilometre mark, where the gravel became looser and more technical.
Before the main climb, we formed a group of around ten riders and rode together for a while. But even though it was a gravel event, it really felt like a race. To be fair, the word “Race” was in the event name, so I cannot complain too much.
I still think this is a route worth doing again at a slower pace. Not to chase wheels or positions, but to enjoy the views, the terrain and the feeling of moving through this part of Slovenia in a different way.
But on that day, my legs felt good, and when the pace lifted, I followed. I pushed when I could and stayed in the mix. At one point, I even found out that I had reached the feed zone around kilometre 70 in second position, but I waited for the group and we continued together.
About 15 kilometres before the finish, the group split again. I ended up riding with the same strong rider I had followed earlier in the day, and we finished together. Only at the finish did I realise how close we had been to the podium places. We crossed the line in 5th and 6th place.
The funny part is that on the drive to the event that morning, Anže and I both agreed that we would take it easy and simply enjoy a nice day on the bike.
Yes, of course.
For me, HFG Race became a hard but very rewarding day. A strong effort, a beautiful route, good company and a reminder that sometimes the best stories happen when the original plan quietly disappears somewhere after the first hour.
Big respect to the Human Fish Gravel organisers for creating such a great event. And the best part was hearing that they were already planning a gravel stage race for next year.