Spicak in the Czech Republic hosted the fourth round of the iXS European DH Cup. The weekend started out with great weather and a loose and fast track. Dust was everywhere but no one would complain as Spicak is properly testing but also and fun course. With forecasted rain, riders were getting worried and with good reason. While Saturday's qualification was a dry one, heavy rain overnight turned the track into a slip-fest on the rocks up top.
Track conditions were crucial, but after some wet laps in the last practice session the rain stopped and the surface started drying, but this made the mud sticky and heavy. Some riders were hoping for more rain but conditions were the same for everyone, and with Joshua Barth and Bry Dickerson tight in points and a rough track, racing just got more exciting.
In the men's field, it was Stanislav Sehnal who would take his first win. Sehnal did not look happy after the first two days as the course did not play into his cards, but he still made it happen. He beat the time by Joshua Barth by 0.555s. Bryn Dickerson who was one of the main favorites after winning the last round in Abetone, doing what he needed to do and secured himself some good points to stay close in the overall. The German Champ, Max Hartenstern, took his second elite podium with a fourth-place finish and was followed by Martin Lebl in fifth.
Monika Hrastnik struggled in seeding but came back strong in Sundays finals to make it three in a row. Janine Huebscher had a stellar weekend of racing and took a solid second place in front of last years winner Sandra Ruebesam.
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