Šic na bic 2007: Raspali po pedali

The rain that soaked Novi Marof on the morning of Saturday, June 30th, lulled many into sweet morning dreams. However, around 70 of us again decided to take part in this year's second Novi Marof cycling event, 'ŠIC NA BIC'. Under the motto 'raspali po pedali' ('pedal hard'), we set off at the signal of the Deputy Mayor, Mr. Vladislav Hajduk, just after 10:00 a.m. The group, led by Mr. Dragutin Trglačnik in a police Golf, headed along Zagorska Street to the cheerful approval of gathered locals, towards the southern bypass and Možđenec. On the way, others encouraged at the last moment by the first rays of sun joined us, and soon we were all together under the large overpass before the climb to Kipišće. The air refreshed by the morning rain was perfect for riding. Our first stop was at the very top, where we refreshed ourselves with water from our support van driven by our always-cheerful Nino Valjak. On the descent to Sudovec the pace was set by Dobrica Oštrek, the group lead, supported by the security team, so around noon we reached Sudovec without any problems. The next stage was more demanding – the climb to the Čanjevo fortress. However, thinking of the bean stew with sausages awaiting us from Marof, the fortress almost magically appeared ahead. On the sun-kissed hill the hosts awaited us – the Mladi Visočani association, playing live music on traditional Visočani instruments. All cyclists were warmly greeted by Natalija Havojić, the association president, and the local priest, Ivan Šestak, who, from the fortress with its beautiful views, introduced his parish. What impressed us all were the costumes of the Praškocijeve Haramije group. The hosts organized a real spectacle by bringing Count Praškocije and his gunner to the fortress. Many took pictures with the count, and we all caught the scent of gunpowder and heard the deafening cannon shot from the top. After a couple of extra servings of beans, we enjoyed social games like tug-of-war, sack races, and the most skilled tried to hammer a nail with the axe blade. All games were rewarded, and we were especially happy to reward the youngest participant – nine-year-old Damjan, who effortlessly completed the 40 km route. Part of the group toured WWII bunkers with the hosts, while the rest rested under the trees. From Čanjevo, full, rested and happy, we headed to Visoko around 4 p.m., where at the old linden Mr. Anđelko Stričak, the municipal mayor, greeted us. For the finale, we ate some energy bars and rode through Kračevec and Vinično to Radešić. The next stop was in Breznički Hum, where the hosts led by Mayor Božo Šćuric greeted us with refreshing drinks. With the finish in sight, the last 10 km were covered at an increasing pace. Just before 6 p.m., the group entered Novi Marof, greeting the locals with an extra lap through several streets and finishing at the square from which we had started. We took a commemorative photo and arranged to see each other next year. This year's cycling event was made possible by the City of Novi Marof and the Municipality of Visoko as main sponsors, with organizational help from Mladi Visočani, Breznički Hum Municipality, Novi Marof Police, Trgonom d.o.o., and the unofficial city portal Novi-Marof.com. The media sponsor was Radio Novi Marof.