{"id":52875,"date":"2023-07-10T18:48:11","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T16:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sloveniadownhillcup.si\/2023\/dh-sorca-to-so-novi-drzavni-prvaki-v-spustu\/"},"modified":"2023-07-10T19:11:43","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10T17:11:43","slug":"dh-sorca-to-so-novi-drzavni-prvaki-v-spustu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/2023\/dh-sorca-to-so-novi-drzavni-prvaki-v-spustu\/","title":{"rendered":"DH Sor’ca: These are the new downhill national champions!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Luka Berginc wins his seconds national title, Monika Hrastnik now already has seven. The battles in younger categories with even more drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What could be better than a race in a mountain pass ski resort while the cities are melting in summer heat!? On the past weekend Sori\u0161ka planina in Julian Alps was the place to be for mountain bike racers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not just for the ones participating in round two of 20chocolate Downhill Cup<\/strong> which doubled as the 2023 Slovenian National Championships<\/strong>. On Saturday a round of SloXcup cross-country series was held at the same venue. There could be more weekends uniting multiple mountain bike disciplines! About 120 downhill and 150 cross-country riders showed up at Sori\u0161ka planina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Idrsko vs. Kobarid \u2013 2 : 2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"luka
Luka Berginc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kobarid is a small historic town in the Western Slovenia, known for WWI battles as described in Hemingway’s Farewell To The Arm. That’s where the defending champion \u017dak Gomil\u0161\u010dek<\/strong> (Wolf Racing by Wheelbase) is from, and his main challenger Luka Berginc<\/strong> (DH Visit Pohorje) is from the village of Idrsko, just 2 km out of Kobarid. They are friends and sparing partners who pushed each other to the top of Slovenian downhill. In absence of the injured Jure \u017dabjek<\/strong> (Unior Sinter Factory Racing) these two were the main favourites for the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berginc finished second in the opening round of iXS European Downhill Cup in Lo\u0161inj and just week before Sori\u0161ka he won round one of the 20chocolate Downhill Cup at Petzen. On the other hand Gomil\u0161\u010dek was a bit of a mystery because on European soil he only raced twice this year in two World Cup qualification runs after spending the spring in New Zealand. He is also changed teams and bikes over the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The championship was held at Sori\u0161ka planina for the third year. Gomil\u0161\u010dek won it last year, Berginc the year before, and Gomil\u0161\u010dek won his first elite title in Maribor in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\u017eak
\u017dak Gomil\u0161\u010dek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Berginc proved his speed in the seeding run, he was the only one to ride the 1100 m track with a vertical drop of 250 m in under 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Gomil\u0161\u010dek 2022 winning time was 2:34 and even if the times can’t really comparable from year to year due to track changes and conditions it was clear that Berginc already set the standard for the final run. Gomil\u0161\u010dek was in second 4 seconds behind and his teammate from New Zealand Finn Hawkesby-Browne<\/strong> in third 7 seconds behind Berginc. Last year’s silver medallist Jan Cimperman<\/strong> (MTB Trbovlje) was fourth 7,54 behind Berginc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The top four names remained in the same order after the final run. Cimperman took the lead but he only improved his seeding run time by a fraction of a second. He had his hands on at least the bronze medal since there were only two Slovenian riders on start and Hawkesby-Browne who was not a medal contender. The Kiwi was .98 faster than Cimperman. Then Gomil\u0161\u010dek came flying in with 2:29.6! But this was still a bit slower than Berginc’s time in the seeding. Berginc was the last rider on track and notably improved his seeding run time. He finished in 2:26.46 and won his second National Championships elite title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Finn
Finn Hawkesby-Browne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Jan
Jan Cimperman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Title number 7 for Monika Hrastnik<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Monika
Monika Hrastnik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Monika Hrastnik holds a DH Visit Pohorje license and is therefore technically Luka Berginc’s teammate even if she rides in a Dorval AM Commencal team kit. By winning her 7th national title she became the most successful rider in the 32 years of Slovenian Downhill National Championships.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tina
Tina Smrdel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The UCI ranking’s number 5 female downhill rider didn’t face a real competition but that doesn’t mean that the other riders didn’t give their best to get as close to her as possible. The enduro National Champion Tina Smrdel<\/strong> (MBK \u010crni Vrh) finished second 13 seconds down and the third fastest Katarina Primo\u017ei\u010d<\/strong> (\u0160D BATT) was just a second slower than Smrdel. But since Primo\u017ei\u010d is not hold Slovenia Cycling license the Championship bronze went to Ana Inkret <\/strong>(Calcit Bike Team), a U17 rider who finished fourth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Elite men<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Luka Berginc (DH Visit Pohorje) 2:26.46<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. \u017dak Gomil\u0161\u010dek (Wolf Racing by Wheelbase) +3.14<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Finn Hawkesby-Browne (NZ, Wolf Racing by Wheelbase) +7.29<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Jan Cimperman (MTB Trbovlje) +10.03<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Jure Tuni\u010d (Wolf Racing Team) +11.01<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Women<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Monika Hrastnik (DH Visit Pohorje) 2:49.39<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Tina Smrdel (MBK \u010crni Vrh) +13.11<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Katarina Primo\u017ei\u010d (\u0160D BATT) +14.12<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Ana Inkret (Calcit Bike Team) +32.03<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Eva Zala Strgar (DGK Pohorje \u2013 Spank Team) +37.17<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Complete results<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
      \n
      \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Intense racing in younger categories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      The races of younger age classes were intense, full of upsets and small gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
      \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/figure>\n
      Junior duel – Baba\u010di\u010d vs. Jerki\u010d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      In men’s junior (U19) category Maj Baba\u010di\u010d<\/strong> (Calcit Bike Team) won the title with a time just 2.34 up on second placed Miha Jerki\u010d<\/strong> (KK \u010crn trn), the fastest from the seeding who failed to improve his time in the final. Maks Oblak<\/strong> (\u0160D Supersnurf) snatched the bronze by just .02.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"A\u017ebe
      A\u017ebe Kalin\u0161ek, photo by Katja Filipi\u010d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      In U17 male category the 2022 U15 winner A\u017ebe Kalin\u0161ek<\/strong> (Wolf Racing by Wheelbase) won by a large margin and with a time that would have brought him a bronze in the elite category! Kalin\u0161ek crashed twice in the seeding run and finished in 9th place 14 seconds behind. But after his final run time it was clear that his competitors didn’t have much change to beat his time. In the end the second placed Ju\u0161 A\u017eman<\/strong> (KK Zavr\u0161nica) was 10 seconds behind and the third placed Matej Osolin<\/strong> (Calcit Bike Team), the fastest rider from the seeding, finished third 11 seconds behind after jamming his chain right out of the start gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
      \"\"<\/a>
      U19<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/a>
      U17<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Masters and amateurs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Title defender Bo\u0161tjan Volf<\/strong> (Wolf Racing by Wheelbase) was by far the fastest masters rider, followed by Ro\u017ele Mesec<\/strong> (Golovec trails) in second and Matja\u017e Rupar (Rajd Ljubljana) in third place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The amateur male category was the largest this time and Tilen Ferk<\/strong> (\u0160D BATT) was the fastest of the bunch, but the title went to license holder Andreas Vidovi\u010d<\/strong> (DGK Pohorje \u2013 Spank team) in second place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
      \"\"<\/a>
      Master<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"
      Amateur men<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"Andreas
      … and the amateur champ<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      The youngest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \"Jakob
      Jakob Pra\u010dek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Last year’s U13 winner Jakob Pra\u010dek<\/strong> (Kamplc Racing Team) won the U15 boys’ race with a gap of just .66 over second placed Svit Kunaver Smolkovi\u010d<\/strong> (MTB klub Kranj Scott Team), Gabriel Nosan<\/strong> (Calcit Bike Team) finished third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In the youngest category, the U13 boys, Gal Pal\u010di\u010d<\/strong> (Rajd Ljubljana) finished on the top step of the podium, his team mate Gal Novak<\/strong> on the second one and Nikolaj Vukojevi\u0107<\/strong> (Golovec trails) on the third step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
      \"\"<\/a>
      U15<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/a>
      U13<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Next one in September<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      This was a great double racing weekend at Sori\u0161ka planina, one for the books. Thanks to Sori\u0161ka planina resort<\/strong>, the MTB \u017delezniki<\/strong> club as well as KK Zavr\u0161nica, the organizers of XC race who also gave a hand for Sunday’s downhill race. In partnership with Slovenia Cycling, over the weekend the host also held free guided tours and provided shuttles for cyclist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Round 3 of 20chocolate Downhill Cup will be held on September 24 on Zagreb’s Sljeme mountain<\/strong> in Croatia. Details to follow at www.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/races<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Photos by Jure Gaspari\u010d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Luka Berginc wins his seconds national title, Monika Hrastnik now already has seven. The battles in younger categories with even more drama.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":52872,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[61,61,62,62],"blocksy_meta":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52875"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52875"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52883,"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52875\/revisions\/52883"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mail.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}