Human Fish Gravel Race - Red Course 2022 was one of those rides that felt like more than just a race. For us, it was also an important test before Istraland, our biggest cycling challenge of that year. The route started early in the morning from Camp Plana near Postojna and took us through a long mix of gravel roads, climbs, rougher terrain, heat, fatigue and a few unexpected moments along the way.
Žan and I arrived at the venue the day before and slept in the car, since the start was set for 6:00 in the morning. Davor had a shorter way to the start, so he chose the smarter option and slept at home. Looking back, that was probably not a bad advantage for a full day on the Red course.
Ride overview:
// Location
Pivka, Slovenia
Pivka, Slovenia
// Distance
243 km
243 km
// Elevation gain
4,300 m
4,300 m
// Total time
12 h 22 min
12 h 22 min
The day before the race was stormy, with rain during the night. Luckily, by the morning it had stopped, and we rolled out without rain. As often happens at these events, the start was a little too fast for my taste. Still, I managed to settle into the pace and stay with the group.
Not long after the descent towards Cerknica Lake, something unusual happened. A large brown shape suddenly jumped across the road, followed by two smaller ones. It took us a moment to fully process it, but it was a mother bear with two cubs. There were around seven of us in the group at that moment, and we all just kept riding, almost as if nothing had happened. Only later did we laugh about it a little and realise how lucky we were that nobody crashed or that things did not turn into something more serious.
The first hours were fast. Maybe too fast. We pushed quite hard for the opening part of the route, until Davor had a puncture. That stopped us for about ten minutes, but in a way it was probably exactly what we needed. After that, we calmed down, reset the rhythm and continued with a more reasonable pace.
From the beginning, the idea was not to race for a result at all costs. The Red course was more of a full test ride for Istraland. We wanted to see how our food, equipment, reserves and pacing would work over a long and demanding day. The first feed zone came at the right time, and we used it well before continuing towards the second part of the route under Nanos.
As the day went on, it became really hot. Luckily, we found a few water sources along the way, which helped a lot. Somewhere around the middle of the route, at about 120 kilometres, I hit a proper low point. It was not just a short bad moment. It stayed with me for a while, especially through the rougher sections, hike-a-bike parts and more MTB-like terrain.
When we reached the second feed zone, there was not much left. In the end, I managed to get a couple of pieces of napolitanke and a small sip of Fanta. It was not exactly a luxury refuel, but at that point water was the most important thing. Luckily, I still had a gel or two left for the final part.
After Cerknica, the last bigger climb was still waiting for us. By then, Žan’s knee was hurting quite badly. He even adjusted his saddle a little during the ride, trying to find a position that would allow him to finish the climb with less pain. He pushed through his own crisis, and we stayed together until the end.
After just over 12 hours, we reached the finish together. Tired, tested, but satisfied. Human Fish Gravel Red was not just another race on the calendar. It became a proper preparation day for Istraland, a long rehearsal of everything that matters on these kinds of rides: pacing, food, equipment, patience, friendship and the ability to keep moving when the body starts asking questions.