The main reasons for the popularity of Pance are, without any doubt, the proximity of Ljubljana, and the mild slope. Any cyclist taking it for the first time will find himself/herself in the cycling heaven, as during nice summer days no other road in Slovenia boasts so many cyclists. At the refreshment bar (which might be another reason for the popularity of the tour) at the top you can admire all kinds of bicycles, from town bikes to recreational bikes, and even most expensive specimens regularly seen on TV transmissions of Tour de France can be seen there. A big happy cycling family! Of course many Ljubljana cyclists ride to Toško čelo, but Pance is, without any doubt, not only the cycling centre of Ljubljana, but of Slovenia as well.

Start on Šmartinska road, continue along Kajuhova street, and Litijska and Hruševska road
Start on Vilharjeva road in Ljubljana, next to the railway underpass. Ride besides the railway till the end of Vilharjeva road, and at the junction at the viaduct take Šmartinska road and continue past Kolinska, Zelena jama towards Kajuhova road. Turn right at the junction, ride along Kajuhova road below the railway line, across Zaloška road, and then cross the Ljubljanica. Continue along Litijska road until Štepanjsko naselje. At the first traffic light turn right to Hruševska road, and leave the city behind. A quarter of the tour is already behind you.

You have left the city, and from this point on the traffic becomes sparser. The road surface is solid. Ride through Bizovik, and underneath the Ljubljana bypass, past the turnoff for St. Urh, and in Dobrunje turn right to the priority road leading from Vevče. The road leads up and down, offering an unobstructed view ahead, along the wide valley of the Gobovšek Creek, through the village Sadinja vas all the way to Podlipoglav. By now you have left behind 12 kilometres of mostly flat road.

The last 7 kilometres; a bit more challenging and therefore the best!
In Podlipoglav the valley narrows. The road remains flat for two more kilometres, and then starts climbing for the last five kilometres, the difference in height being 200 metres, which is almost equal to the total difference in height of the tour. Most of it will be covered in the last three kilometres, from the turnoff to Javor leading left while you turn right, following the stream. The junction there is the start for the already traditional chronometer race to Pance held in the end of the summer. The best cyclists need eight minutes for the last three kilometres.

The last part of the road passes by an abandoned quarry, and after turning right the road becomes steeper and enters the wood, passing a couple of houses where it is the steepest. When you exit the wood for a moment, you can already see Pance at your left. All that is left now are a couple of relatively steep curves through the forest, and when you cross the meadows and turn left at the bus stop, you reach the refreshment stand and the end of the tour.

38 kilometres, and 200 metres of ascent
Coming from Ljubljana, you travel 19 kilometres, it means 38 kilometres total, and 230 metres of difference in height. Starting from the centre of Ljubljana you will need less than an hour, while the return voyage will be for a couple of minutes shorter. A bit more than an hour and a half of cycling all together! Some cyclist just turn around at Pance and start cycling back, some of them add another stamp into the booklet as a proof of another ascent, and many stop at the snack bar, drink a coffee, a beer or just a glass of water.

The conversations can be extremely interesting. While admiring the specimens of top cycling technique, you will hear the freshest news from the cycling world, not to neglect the information about cyclists outcycling each other on the slope, including all the details of how, who and when. It pays off to sit for a while, before returning to the valley! Because a cyclist really feels at home at Pance.