Eroica does not sell a separate gravel race. It sells an entire weekend full of ‘strade bianche’, local food and vintage atmosphere. If we look at the program of the Second edition of NOVA Eroica Istria To watch that, then, seems more like marketing rhetoric in Croatia.
Of NOVA Eroica Istria – Truffle Tour returns on May 1st and 2nd, 2026 Novigrad, In the northwest of Istria. The first edition took place last autumn, but for 2026 the event is being moved to the spring. The date coincides with Labor Day. The festival directly connects with local traditions that have been attracting audiences for years, especially from Slovenia.
Two different days
Friday is all about community. At 10 a.m., a brass band opens the day with a traditional fanfare, followed by a picnic with live music in the park. Karpinjan. At 11 o'clock, a Family Bike Ride will start, intended for families and recreational cyclists. No starting numbers, no pressure. Later in the day, starting at 17 o'clock, the Vintage Tour will be held for owners of vintage bicycles and participants in retro cycling attire, all in the spirit of the original Eroica. There will also be a bicycle exhibition in the Lapidarium.
On Saturday things will get more serious. There will be three gravel routes on the program, all starting and finishing in Novigrad:
- Truffle Route (150 km) – for experienced riders, along Motovun, Livade and Oprtalj, through truffle country and medieval villages.
- Teran Route (100 km) – a good middle ground between sporty and scenic.
- Malvasia Route (60 km) – for those who mainly want to ride gravel and eat, without having to break the bank.
More than 80% of the routes consist of the characteristic Istrian white roads, similar to those in Tuscany. sterrato. A significant part of the course runs over the Parenzana, a Former narrow-gauge railway which once connected Trieste with Poreč and now serves as a cycling path. Along the way there are service stations with local products: truffles, olive oil, wine.
“The return in May and the growing interest among participants show that Istria has great potential for the development of top-level international gravel competitions,” said Denis Ivošević, director of the Istria Tourist Board.
Bike rental is offered during the event, for those who don't want to carry a bike bag.
NOVA versus classic – a brief clarification
For those who don't distinguish clearly: the classic L’Eroica In Gaiole in Chianti, strict vintage is the rule. Steel frames, coaster brakes, bikes from before 1987. NOVA Eroica is the modern branch, founded in 2017, where you can just ride your carbon gravel bike to the start. The same unpaved roads, the same philosophy of landscape and gastronomy, but without the obligation to ride on a piece of nostalgia. There are, however, technical requirements: drop bars, disc brakes, minimum 32mm tires.
The rest of the NOVA Eroica calendar 2026
Istria is the flavor of spring, but the rest of the calendar offers plenty of alternatives. A brief overview:
- NOVA Eroica Buonconvento (April 11–12, Siena, Italy) – The Tuscan home of the circuit. The highlight here is the Epic Route of 290 km in randonnée style: completely autonomous, mandatory lighting, and a seriously long day on horseback.
- NOVA Eroica Gran Sasso (June 6, Castel del Monte, Italy) – For the climbing goats. Altitude, Apennines, timed special tests. Mountain bikes and e-bikes are exceptionally allowed here in the tourist categories.
- NOVA Eroica Switzerland (June 13, Poschiavo, Switzerland) – Hybrid formula in the Graubünden. More compact, more streamlined, alpine. The 50 km Fondovalle Bio route is the only category where e-gravel is allowed.
- L’Eroica (3–4 October, Gaiole in Chianti, Italy) – The vintage event. Only vintage.
Each event has its own character. Istria focuses on festivals and gastronomy, Buonconvento on long distances, Gran Sasso on high altitudes, Poschiavo on a more rigorous alpine formula. The different editions offer a choice between a relaxing weekend in Istria with truffle stops or the challenge of the 290 km Tuscan stradetta.
Questions & tips
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