THE HISTORY OF THE FRANCIS MARATHON

 

Prvi Maraton Franja was held on July 22, 1982 under the leadership of Zvonet Zanoškar at the initiative of Tone Fornezzi-Tof. As early as 1978, Mr. Fornezzi, but due to the construction of the road to Kladje in Cto turn around. Then, in 1979, the Rog team, led by Zvonet Zanoškar, covered the route of the marathon, which also got its name that year. Zvone, Tof and Rog's cycling team led by Žaubi and Polončič rested in Cerkno with a view of the Franja Hospital sign. At the initiative of Tofa, the decision was made immediately: Marathon Franja.

 

At the first event, there were around 700 participants, mostly on ordinary, non-competitive bikes. In the first years, the route also included a seven-kilometer macadam section from the top of Kladje to Sovodnje, which caused many flat tires. It was with the help of Franja and the protests of the surrounding residents that the asphalt was later laid.

In 1984, the participants at the start in Tacno were greeted by the legendary doctor Dr. Franja Bojc-Bidovec, who uttered the famous words on this occasion: "I know it won't be easy for you, believe me, it wasn't easy for us either!"

In the 1980s, many foreigners from Western Europe attended Francis. The Dutch, who stopped at the marathon on the way to the Adriatic coast, were especially remembered. V

in those years, the Rog factory also produced a bike suitable for such tests, which was called the Marathon.

On the first Franja, Ivan Rajgelj was the fastest, but later on a really large crowd took part: from real tourist cyclists to professionals, such as Primož Čerin, Jure Pavlič, Valter Bonča, Robert Pintarič, Gorazd Penko and others. The latter also fought for the points of the most prestigious scoring for Rogovo Zlata kola for two years in Franja. In the 1980s, Bojan Križaj, who was one of the biggest stars of Yugoslavian sports at the time, ran the marathon.

The official record attendance was in 2002, when 1,886 participants took part. That year, the marathon was exceptionally closed. Together with the Family Marathon, which was organized for the first time at the time, there were more than 2,000 participants at the start. Already the following year, Franja was competitive again, which turned out to be the right and long-term solution. Until 2002, the start and finish line of Franja in Tacno was in front of the Secondary Police School. In 2003, he moved to BTC City in Ljubljana.

The event got a new impetus in 2005, when the marathon was held as part of the Cycling Festival. We have added to the Franja Marathon the Little Franja Marathon, two trials for mountain bikers, a Family-School Marathon for everyone and a Trial for children. Alongside the festival, there were also lectures, fair offers and pop music concerts. Last year, with the entry into the Alpe Adria Tour connection, a larger number of foreigners, especially Italians, took part in the Franja Barcaffé Marathon for the first time.

Another milestone was set this year, when the Franja Marathon is an official candidate for membership in the series of the best cycling marathons in the world under the auspices of the International Cycling Union UCI-Golden bike.

 

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Practical advice

FOOD AND BEVERAGE ENTRY AT THE CYCLING MARATHON

For most, the Franja Marathon is the biggest annual cycling event, for others it is the first real cycling test, and for some it is an annual race. With the first warmer and sunny days, you have probably already started to accumulate the necessary cycling kilometers, study tactics and take care of proper nutrition.

One of the most important but all too often overlooked stones in the cycling marathon mosaic is proper nutrition both before, during and after the marathon itself.

Experienced experts at ProAction advise you on proper nutrition and have prepared for you a precise plan of intake of the necessary nutrients, so that you will not run out of energy or face energy crises and lack of hydration during the marathon.

The nutrient plan is prepared with the goal of maintaining adequate energy readiness throughout the entire marathon.

FRANK BTC CITY MARATHON 156km

BEFORE THE START OF THE MARATHON

Come to the start well hydrated. Breakfast should contain simple sugars (fruit juice, hazelnut spread...) and not too much fiber (such as: whole grains, dried fruit...) so that you don't miss the start due to searching for the nearest toilet.

Preparing travel food and drink should be a careful and planned task. Before the start, cut the energy bars in half for practicality and easier consumption, as you do not need to tear the packaging while driving, and you can also eat the bar in two small portions, 15 minutes apart. Unscrew the caps of Carbo sprint BCAA gels and remove the fuse, which allows you to open them more easily while riding. Prepare the correct concentration of Mineral plus isotonic drink in three bottles. Place two water bottles in the bike racks, and one in the middle pocket of the cycling shirt. .Start drinking the latter in small sips already in the pit before the start

Up to 90 minutes before the start, drink CARBO PLUS 50g mixed in 500ml of water. At the start, sleep another 5 minutes before the start of the PRESTART SHOT, which you wash down with a few sips of the drink.

Below are the appropriate amounts of nutrients that you will need for the marathon and which you should get before the start itself.

DURING THE MARATHON

So a suitable supply of food and drink for the entire marathon:

• 5 pcs MINERAL PLUS ISOTONIC (3 x cans and 2 x packaging in a bag)
• 2 pcs ULTRA RACE
• 2 pcs FRUIT BAR
• 1 piece CRONO BAR
• 1 piece CARBO SPRINT EXTREME
• 2 pcs CARBO SPRINT BCAA
• 1 piece MINERAL PLUS Magnesium + Potassium
• 1 piece CARBO SPRINT STEERING WHEEL
• 2 pcs BIDON

They said

It also connects Francis in the new reality
This year's 39th Franja BTC City Marathon 2020 will be something special. It will connect us in a period in which we all had to accept new circumstances and adapt our way of doing business and living. But Franja remains: because she is a fighter, she is persistent and wants to continue connecting cycling friends. This year, the organizers of the marathon had quite a few dilemmas regarding the execution of the event. But the unwavering will of the organizer KD Rog and the support of the Municipality of Ljubljana, as well as the clearly expressed interest and wishes of both participants and business partners - supporters of the event - convinced us that Franja must stay. This year, we used the traditional June date for a cleaning campaign on the routes marathon, and cycling tests were postponed to a safer autumn. Thus, on the first weekend in September (September 5-6), we will combine energy on five tests, which otherwise remain the same in terms of their difficulty as before, but with a narrower lineup. Due to special circumstances, each test at the marathon will be able to connect only a few hundred participants live. At the same time, we believe that Franja in spirit still connects thousands of cycling friends throughout Slovenia and beyond. Of course, the organization will take all necessary safety measures into account, so that the event is not only organizationally successful and safe for driving, but also safe from the point of view of infection prevention for all participants and support staff.

Considering that many mass sports events have been canceled this year, we are grateful that Franja remains, even if in a slightly different version. This year's goal of the event is therefore not to break records in terms of time and number of participants, but to re-strengthen the connecting energy and reinforce the message of gratitude for all that is given to us.

We are happy that Franja remains in the hearts of many people of all generations. We dare to predict that it will become even more popular in the future, given that cycling as a recreation has expanded tremendously during the pandemic. This encourages us to believe that the cycling holiday deserves its place this year as well and that it will be an excellent precursor to the jubilee 40th Francis in 2021.

Jože Mermal

President of the OO 39th Marathon Franja BTC City

Bicycle pedals drive new ideas

At KD Rog Ljubljana, we are proud of our 69th year in the past and look to the future with great optimism. Slovenian cycling is at an enviable mass, professional and competitive level. Cycling and the culture of road users are improving. Organized cycle paths are being extended from year to year. There are more and more girls among us who persistently turn the pedals and surpass their male peers with their drive, perseverance and diligence.

In Ljubljana, at least for now, we are not afraid of the future. The management of the City of Ljubljana and the administration of the BTC company show not only a great degree of social responsibility, but in addition to other sponsors, they contribute and systematically invest significant financial resources for the growth and development of recreational and competitive cycling. Without them, we would not be able to maintain and develop our core activity and a range of other activities that promote and expand recreational cycling. In this, the Franja BTC City Marathon stands out, which with its mass and many three-day events, when it was included in the UCI world calendar, with a large international participation and with a flawless organizational execution, in which a team of two thousand members participates, has reached an enviable level. Now we all have a demanding and responsible task to permanently maintain quality progress. But with our director Gorazd Penek, who is full of new ideas, we can do it even at the cost of hard-to-manage personal efforts and efforts.

Because in the association we do not neglect our basic activities of education and professional training and the growth of our cyclists, from the youngest selections of boys, girls, juniors, and juniors all the way to the members of the continental team and the women's professional team under the conscientious guidance and control of qualified coaches, repairmen and others employees of technical support activities. We are aware that there is no future for competitive cycling without a core junior. Therefore, it is no coincidence that our girls cycling team BTC City Ljubljana is in the elite fifteen on the UCI ranking in 9th place in the general ranking and 11th in the World Tour. Among them, in addition to the newly "born" Slovenian Eugenia Bujak, who often wins podiums, Polona Batagelj and Urša Pintar play an important role in the top six. We are also happy with the achievements of the continental member team, juniors and juniors in domestic and international races.

In addition to the revitalized Ljubljana-Trieste Friendship Marathon, the successful implementation of the Franja Academy as part of the European Erasmus project and the annual traditional awarding of the Golden Bicycle, this year's Franja Marathon is joined by the new recreational cycling route Barjanka, which connects seven municipalities and the Ljubljana Marsh Landscape Park with many natural beauties, attractions, rich cultural heritage created by man and the environment over a historical period of a million years. We are looking forward to the successful implementation of the new idea, which should grow into an important international project of additional Slovenian tourism offer. Therefore, our goal is to include Barjanka in the world calendar of recreational cycling events. I would like to thank all the many cycling fans and supporters who show understanding for the further development of cycling and sustainable development of tourism and the region in accordance with the message that bicycle pedals drive new ideas.

Aleks ŠTAKUL
President of KD Rog Ljubljana

Many say that the Franja BTC City Marathon event is somewhat routine and that after many years everything is done more or less easily. However, dear cycling enthusiasts, my answer is quickly no, because an event like Franja requires its time every year, and in addition, as organizers, we always try to add something new. Therefore, as the director of the marathon, Franja is a special challenge for me every year, even if nothing new happens at the event.

When we compete with the BTC CITY Ljubljana women's cycling team at the biggest cycling races in the world, we notice that they strive to spice up the already difficult cycling races abroad as well. Most of the time, they introduce even more difficult climbs or more and more popular macadam sections. This is the current trend in the world of cycling. And this trend will also be followed by the Maraton Franja event. Yes, it's true. Sometimes we swung over the macadam to Kladje and then further towards Sovodnje and Trebija.

Today, such a section would be a unique attraction and challenge. However, Franja will continue to be as it is. A new event in Franje is Barjanka, which will enable participants to experience the special experience that Barje can offer with its flora, fauna and historical sites. An 84 km long circuit around Barje with a 32 km ride on a special bike on white roads will offer the participants, in addition to the interesting environment, the "retro" feelings of our cycling predecessors and at the same time require a little more technical knowledge and, above all, softness on the bike.

There are more and more groups of enthusiasts around the world who attend "retro" cycling events (so called because of the white roads), and in this way we plan to bring the richness of the Ljubljana Marshes as close as possible to participants from abroad. I am also sure that many residents of the Ljubljana basin will drive for the first time along the routes that will be included on Barjanka, even though we live very close. With this event, we plan to be able to do a competitive test next year, and thus the plan of a three-day recreational competition event, which has been the wish of the organizer for several years, will come true. The Ljubljana–Domžale–Ljubljana time trial is already an established competitive race. Velika Franja BTC City Ljubljana and Triglav mini marathon as well. The day between the two events should be filled by Barjanka. The Hofer family-school marathon has been taking care of young cyclists and the activation of families on bicycles for several years. Thus, Franja itself somehow becomes in line with the global trend and becomes an even more important sports, social and tourist offer.

Gorazd Penko
director of Marathon Franja BTC City

Ljubljana is the cycling center of Slovenia

Ljubljana is a cycling city, in which the Franja Marathon plays a very special role. Every year, I look forward to the weekend in early June, when cyclists of all generations gather for this extraordinary cycling event. The energy that recreational cyclists carry with them is incredible, and every time I watch with enthusiasm the enthusiasm with which they prepare for the start, and I am especially impressed by their friendships and sincere joy when they meet each other, relive memories and look forward to new ones. of joint cycling ventures.

Cycling is one of the healthiest and most environmentally friendly forms of mobility, so in Ljubljana we encourage both everyday and recreational cycling, but of course we must not forget the top athletes on two wheels, among whom I must especially mention the members of the first Slovenian professional women's cycling team, BTC City Ljubljana, who they achieve exceptional results on a European and global scale.

Ljubljana is a beautiful city that offers many opportunities for cycling. We are constantly expanding and upgrading the cycling infrastructure, and when renovating roads, we arrange suitable areas for cyclists. We are aware that the safety of all road users comes first, and at the same time, with additional cycling options, we attract even more of our townspeople of all generations and thus ensure a healthy and active lifestyle from the very young.

The Franja Marathon is a true celebration of cycling and I am glad that the organizers upgrade the program every year. This year, they are introducing Barjanka, a cycling experience in the Ljubljana Marshes, with which we want to bring cyclists closer to the beauty of this unique natural habitat.

All threads of the marathon are in the hands of the Rog Cycling Association, which, together with its partners and with the support of the Municipality of Ljubljana, sets higher standards for the implementation of this unique event every year, for which I sincerely thank them. I am sure that with their exceptional, professional and dedicated work, they will continue to hold many top sports events in the future.

Dear cyclists,

The Franja Marathon is a very special experience that will remain in your memory forever. Choose your custom route, put your body and mind to the test and win. We will encourage each and every one of you along the track, you are already all winners for me!

Good luck and see you at the 37th Franja BTC City Marathon!
Zoran Janković,
Mayor of the City of Ljubljana

A word from the Mayor of Ljubljana
"Sports and recreational events, such as the Franja Marathon, play an important role in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, while also enabling pleasant socializing.

That's why in Ljubljana, we are always happy and support sports events that also excite our residents, and with our kindness, hospitality and warmth, we ensure the excellent well-being of all participants.

Zoran Janković,
Mayor of the City of Ljubljana

Welcome to our traditional recreational cycling test! This year marks 26 years since the first performance of the Franja marathon with the legendary start in Tacno (at the Police Academy). In its history, the current Franja Barcaffé Marathon has found itself at turning points several times in terms of the technical course. From the performance when everyone started alone in Tacno, then confirmed the card in Vič and set off on the route, through the performance when the entire caravan tried to transport "Franjo" together, to the present, when everyone can complete the marathon alone to the best of their abilities. Only the track has always remained the same throughout history.

Over the years, the Franja Barcaffé Marathon has established itself and almost become a mandatory part of the calendar of most recreational cyclists. Today's Franja has become much stronger organizationally compared to the original performances. With the inclusion in the international Alpe-Adria connection, more and more foreign cycling enthusiasts are coming to us. And yet every year we try to improve the organizational level, especially in terms of safety for the participants. That is why more and more Slovenian institutions are also participating in the marathon. For now, more than 1,000 people are involved in the organization of the project, to whom Franja is well organized.

Like every athlete, the organizers of sports events strive for better results and new challenges. This year, we decided to apply for membership in a series of elite prepared marathons under the auspices of the International Cycling Union UCI-Golden bike, which is the furthest that a cycling recreational event can reach.

All the while, you remain Franje's common thread, recreational cycling enthusiasts who happily return to the event to do something for their health, joy, body and soul.

I wish you an unforgettable ride!
Gorazd PENKO
Marathon director

It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you again as the honorary chairman of the organizing committee of the 27th Franja Marathon. I am especially happy to welcome you at the same time as an active participant in the marathon, which I have been participating in for many years.

The Franja Marathon is an important manifestation of the willingness of the inhabitants of Slovenia to engage in physical activity, which is one of the conditions for maintaining and strengthening one's own health. To this end, we have recently taken a number of measures in Slovenia, which enable the development of recreational activities and also awareness of care for one's own health. Procedures for faster and more effective treatment of sick top athletes have also been initiated, and measures that will lead to significantly better preventive activities of active athletes, especially young people, are particularly important. Timely detection and treatment means for many athletes the possibility of further sports activity.

We can be particularly happy about the ever-increasing number of participants in the Franja marathon. Although we are a small country in terms of the number of inhabitants, we also prove that we are a big sporting nation with a large number of participants in this event. The Franja cycling marathon is becoming one of the largest events of its kind in the world, so it is quite normal that the organizers of the event would like to be included in the Golden Bike event series, which is run within the framework of the International Cycling Union UCI. All the conditions for this are given, and it is especially necessary to mention the excellent organization of the event. To place the event in the Golden Bike group, the number of 5,000 participants must be reached. We are currently not far short of this number, so I would like to take this opportunity to invite all those who have not yet decided to participate in this event to do so this year and thus provide themselves with adequate recreation and the organizers a ranking among the 10 most elite events of this kind in the world.

At the end, I wish all the cyclists, especially the participants of this event, as much pleasure as possible in this year's race and in their pursuit of recreation in the future. I look forward to meeting you at the marathon. Happy driving, no injuries and lots of good things in life.

Andrej Bručan,
a member of the DZ of the RS and a cyclist

Children are adults at eighteen, a little mature at twenty-one, and at twenty-five, parents slowly start to regard them as adults. It was different with Franjo. When she celebrated a quarter of a century last year, we all greeted her like a mature lady who knows all the secrets. And many of them certainly are. She was born not only in the last century, but also in the previous millennium, in a previous country and in different times. It's as if she didn't pay attention to it: she was more interested in cyclists than time, countries and politics - it's always been clear to the old lady that she's in the world because of them. Just because of them.

And rightly so. The Franja Marathon is part of Slovenian sports history and is now the most logistically demanding sports and recreational event in the country. And maybe one day, when she is half a century old, she will stand alongside Planica, Vitranec, and Pohorje in people's minds? Who knew...That these are too high hopes? Even when they imagined the first Franja, probably no one believed that it would one day be a cycling event that knocks on the door of the largest of its kind in the world, in the Golden Bike series of competitions of the International Cycling Union UCI.

Her Italian neighbors admit that Franja is the best prepared in the series of Alpe Adria Tour marathons. Although we may lack a meter of wider roads in Slovenia, we are nevertheless a nation of cyclists. Not only the thousands who spin the pedals for health, not the successes of our professional cyclists, but especially Franja proves that this is so with his history.

The seed that Mr. Zvone Zanoškar and his colleagues sowed has germinated well. The young generation, which takes over the reins from the "commander of the parade", realized in time in which direction Franja had to go; not only that it will survive, but that it will remain what it has always been: an event tailored for cyclists. Sometimes it seems that Franja does not age at all and that everyone who is with her every year hardly shows any wrinkles anymore. May it always be so. Let the Franja marathon be a celebration of good will, sportsmanship and a meeting of people who believe
that because they transport Francis, they are really something "special". They are. I myself wish that more and more people, especially young people, would be "special" here, and that they would have a good time with this "specialness" in our wonderful country.

I wish you all the best, cyclists, in the year when Francis steps into the first year of his second quarter-century cycle. Happy driving and wind at your back!

Andrijana Starina Kosem
State Secretary for the Economy

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Honorary Committee

PRESIDENT - ZORAN JANKOVIĆ
Members - Marko Bokal, Andrej Bručan, Tone Fornezzi Tof, Tomaž Grm, Primož Kališnik, Damjan Kralj, Marko Kolbl, Damir Pavlović, Aleksander Mervar, Jure Mohorič, Marián Šefkovič, Aleks Štakul, Dimitrij Šulin, Aleš Torkar, Ivan Winkler, Franjo Bobinac, Jernej Smisl, Lejla Helbl, Marko Hren, Rok Drašler.

Organizing committee

PRESIDENT - JOŽE MERMAL

Vice Presidents - Aleš Čerin, Marko Kolenc, Maja Owen

PREPARATION FOR THE MARATHON

There are just under two months left until the start of the Franje marathon. You probably know the famous rule, created among Ljubljana cyclists, that 'you can come through Franja if you have at least 700 kilometers traveled by the day of the start'. Well, some can even confirm it. However, marathons such as Franja's cannot be undertaken without a little more and high-quality, smart training. So how to practice so that it will be as easy as possible and with as much pleasure as possible?

Our cycling experts are of the opinion that you can ride the big marathon, 165 kilometers long, without any problems, enjoy it or even improve your time from last year's Franja, if you practice properly and smartly in the weeks before the start (just under two months). Of course, by this we mean somewhat more active recreational cyclists who must cycle at least 160 kilometers per week. These are cyclists who were active in sports even in winter and used almost every warm winter and spring day for cycling. These are generally physically fit individuals who have already traveled several hundred (700 to 800) basic kilometers. With the exercise that we advise you, you will actually increase the intensity and volume, so it shouldn't be difficult for you to sit on the bike for four to five hours in the last month before Franjo. You should cycle at least three times a week. We also took into account that you are busy and want to spend a day of the weekend with your family, so we limited the cycling days to Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. After two long training sessions in the fourth week, we planned for the fifth week a bit of rest and easier training.

We also prepared a special training schedule for beginner cyclists whose goal is to complete the Franja mini-marathon. Don't worry, they are already tested. Polet's first team of beginner cyclists, who practiced with Gorazd Penko, also rode the big Franja without any problems. But for now and for the first time, let's have a shorter goal, little Franja. It is good if you are used to riding a bike before starting the training, which means that you must already have a few basic kilometers of cycling behind you.

Even beginner cyclists must practice three times a week, and must ride at least 55 kilometers per week (that is, for example, approximately three laps around Šmarna gora on the route Šmartno – Skarucna – Vodice – Krašnja – Valburga – Smlednik – Zavrh – Pirnice – Tacen – Šmartno) . Friday, Sunday and Wednesday are suitable days for you to practice. The scope and intensity of the exercise are adapted to beginners, which means that we also took into account that as beginner cyclists you are not used to sitting on the bike for a long time and you will sometimes get off.