STAGE 2

CRES. IGNITE ADVENTURE

The Queen Stage of the 2025 4Islands Epic takes place on Cres. Starting the city centre, of the town which takes its name from the island, the second marathon day is far more remote and rural than the urban adventure which preceded it.

Sheep hoof carved singletracks provide the stage’s riding highlights, while ancient villages and a haunted lake add to the Adriatic sea views to create a unique scenic extravaganza. The opening kilometres lead out of the Cres harbour and along town streets to the west, to tract the outline of Zaljev Valun. Overlooking the town which gives the bay its name the course turns south and continues to climb until the 21 kilometre mark. In fact the first portion of the route are effectively all uphill, two short descents provide momentary respite, but essential it is a long ascent to 430 metres above sea level. Once teams pass through the postcard perfect village of Lubenice the highest point of the stage is within reach, as are the Shepherd’s Paradise singletracks past Vidovići and the coast at Martinšćica. The route then follows the coast along a road, providing an opportunity to recover ahead of the second feed zone, at Stivan, 32 kilometres into the stage. Riders are advised to fuel up well because the climbing resumes as the course turns north and starts the long journey back towards Cres. From the summit of the second major climb of the day Vransko Jezero (Lake Vrana) should come into view. It is the largest freshwater lake on the Kvarner islands and is said to be haunted by the sound of castle bells, drowned beneath the waves. Dual tracks though a forest make spotting the lake difficult but also ensure fast racing past the Crkva sv. Uršula and on to the village of Mali Podol. The final third of the stage is an undulating affair, which culminates in a climb to the ridgeline separating the towns of Cres and Merag, 2024’s start location. This high point is also the trail head of a final singletrack descent into the finishing town, then on dual tracks through the olive groves and back onto the narrow streets of Cres for the last few hundred metres.