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Albanian Cycling Cup, strong competition in Korça

2026-04-05 11:16:00, Sport CNA

The city of Korça welcomed another important sporting activity this weekend, the Albanian Cycling Cup, where around 50 athletes from different countries participated.

The race was held in two categories. The Cadet category covered the Piskupat-Pogradec-Maliq-Korça route, with a distance of 54 kilometers, while the Elite/U23/Junior category started from Qukësi, continued to Trebinje, Maliq, Bilisht and ended in Korça, with a total length of 122.6 kilometers.

Albanian Cycling Cup, strong competition in Korça

In the 'Cadet' category, first place was won by Nedion Demiri, an athlete from the "Skënderbeu" team. He said that the competition was difficult due to strong competition, including participants from abroad, but thanks to their preparation they managed to secure victory. This is the third time that he has won first place.

"The race was difficult because there were competitors from other countries, but with the training we did, we managed to win first place. I feel happy that I won first place. The race started in Piskupat, there were breaks from the group, but we still managed to win. This is the third time we have won first place," said Demiri.

From the same team, Xhasti Pashko came in third place, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and the help he gave his friend to secure the victory. He expressed his satisfaction with the result, considering it a valuable experience.

"I feel very good because we won first place, we helped my friend and I am happy. I took third place, but I am pleased because my friend managed to take first place. It is the first time I have won. The race was a little tough and there were breaks, but we still managed to do it thanks to the training we have done. We did it", said Pashko.

In the 'Elite' category, Henri Hysa was declared the winner, who managed to break away from the group in the last 15 kilometers. He showed that the race was challenging, but the experience and cooperation with his teammate, Olsian Velia, were crucial for success.

"I feel very excited. I came in first place. I broke away in the last 15 km. It's not the first time I've won, I've won before since I've been involved in sports since I was little, for 7 years. The race was very difficult, normal has its difficult things but we managed to do it successfully with my colleague Olsian Velia", said Hysa.

Albanian Cycling Cup, strong competition in Korça

Meanwhile, Olsian Velia ranked third, highlighting the good strategy of the Tirana team and his role in supporting his teammate. He underlined that his many years of experience in sports helps him to face the challenges of the competitions more easily.

"I won third place. I feel very happy because it was a very good strategy from the Tirana team. Today my task was to work for my teammate Henri Hysa because in the last race he worked for me at the Kavaja Cup and it was his merit to win it. Every race has its own difficulties, but I have 22 years as an athlete and experience makes every race easier and the competitors see it with a different eye", said Velia.

Also part of the activity was 12-year-old Hera Mesi, the only female participant, who was participating in a cycling race for the second time. She described the experience as very beautiful and motivating, indicating that her passion for the sport was born thanks to her family.

"My name is Hera Mesi, I'm 12 years old and I've been cycling for 4 months. This is my second race. I feel very good, the view was very beautiful. It's a nice experience, this time it was easier. My dad said to me, "Do you want to join?" and I tried it as a sport and I liked it. My dad is into swimming, athletics and even does a little cycling, so I thought I'd try it too," the 12-year-old said.

The Albanian Cycling Cup continues to remain one of the most important activities for promoting this sport in the country, highlighting new talents and strengthening competition among athletes. /CNA