This year the cyclers in vintage outfits rode their vintage Pony bicycles to the top of the highest road mountain pass in Slovenia.

This year two records were broken at the Goni Pony event, namely the number of participants and the best time. The first year 284 competitors struggled uphill, last year there were 573 participants, and this year more than 900.

The participants who gathered in Kranjska Gora on Saturday were dressed as befitted their Pony bicycles, dressed in the style of the 70s and the 80s. The warm-up lap through town was scheduled for 2 p.m., and for 3 p.m. at the Lek hotel the flying start of the race to Vršič.

It was not an easy feat to reach the finish line; the 13,5 km long track at the altitude of 1611 metres has 24 hairpin bends, and 801 metres, and the difference in altitude is 801 metres, and almost 11 percent incline.

The victorious Pony cost 30 euros
And who won this year's race? The first on the top of Vršič were Primož Jurak and his Pony. Last year they took the second place, but this year they managed to get to the finish line in 44 minutes and 30 seconds, thus setting the new record.

Primož is a mountain biker. He bought the victorious Pony a week before last year's competition in a second-hand shop online, and paid 30 euros. But since last year while driving the lap through the city the fork on the bicycle broke, he bought another Pony for 40 euros, as that was the only way to get the spare fork.

And how does it feel to drive a Pony? "Only when I bought it I realised I was too long without it," the mountain biker said tenderly. He explained that the legendary means of transport is ideal for use in the city, and on level ground you can ride effortlessly even 30 km/h.

The female competitor who was the most efficient in pushing the pedals was the former professional cyclist Laura Šimenc, who reached the finish line in 52 minutes and 10.

The most attention was paid to group masks. Many participants took the appeal of the organizers very seriously and dressed in retro style from the 70s and 80s.

One of the largest group consisted of 15 friends, 12 males and 3 females from Ljubljana and Velenje, who for that special occasion had made sports uniforms worn by the Yugoslav national basketball. The members of the group were pupils and students, schoolmates and friends, between 19 and 25 years of age.

Tina Hacler; translated by G. K.