Video: First Look at the Fresh Bielsko-Biala DH World Cup Course

May 9, 2024
by Ed Spratt  

With a week until the second round of the 2024 Downhill World Cup series in Poland, we have a glimpse of what to expect from the new venue.

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Racing and Events Videos DH Racing World Cup DH Bielsko Biala World Cup Dh 2024


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90 Comments
  • 78 4
 Ooh, a slopestyle course!
  • 10 0
 Well that didn't take long.
  • 18 1
 @markb2392 I counted 2 roots and 5 rocks though! Hahah Big Grin
  • 9 1
 a set of manicured jumps are the less interesting part of a dh race..
  • 22 1
 They Polished the track indeed...
  • 7 14
flag EikSkaloe69 FL (May 9, 2024 at 23:54) (Below Threshold)
 I bet you are the type whose wheels never leave the ground.. You're always at the trail telling people how this is DJ and not real mtb.. You like tech cause that is real MTB.. Secretly you're shit scared of jumps! That's the truth for 99 out of 100 people!
  • 5 0
 @EikSkaloe69: How did you know!
  • 1 0
 Hopefully the video isn't a representative sample of the entire course. I get your point, I just don't feel quite as strongly about it, and do think that jump sections have some relevance to a properly balanced DH course. To your point, I do hope there are some gnarly sections present that don't get showed here if we were to assume this video was made for the masses.
  • 1 1
 @EikSkaloe69: you live in Jamaca.
  • 7 0
 The track is dope, they did jumps and berms on all flatter section, steeper wood sections are natural and techy. I am just walking it. But what do I know
  • 69 2
 why do people always think jumps are the coolest thing to showcase a trail? they really really arent. I can build jumps in antarctica. I want to see what poland actually has to offer. what is the terrain like? what is the soil like?
  • 5 0
 Amen brother
  • 14 3
 because this shity track is all about jumps and berms...
  • 3 0
 There is much rough terrain on lower sections so wait to see it. This is near my hometown and those mountains have a lot to offer, more enduro trails there is what to do over there.
  • 4 0
 @zaboradh: I can't belief they didn’t went for a track like the one in Wisla.
  • 1 2
 Buddy you cant even build jumps in vermont let a lone antarctica
  • 2 0
 @fantaman: I think such a trail needs to detoriate for years, you cannot just build a natural track in a month.
  • 46 1
 Looks fun, but where is DH part of the track?
  • 41 2
 Hard to get excited about racing if you can't watch the racing.
  • 4 0
 Amen brother.
  • 11 1
 Ha, I'm going watch this particular one Smile
  • 24 0
 I don't haaate it but really hoping the natural sections are good to make up for the pumptracky jumps shown here
  • 7 1
 There were plenty on the slope, but apparently they decided to remove them, probably in fear that the track will not be rideable in the wet. I need to see this myself, cause they have shown only 50% of the track in the vid.
  • 2 0
 @lkubica: they are aware that these are the best cyclists in the world right? Also say hi Rob for me thanks
  • 5 0
 @Piersdevoil: I think they hope the track will get destroyed enough before finals Smile
  • 22 0
 That wasn't very informative...
  • 5 0
 That vid was horrible.
  • 16 0
 I ride DH in Poland Czarna Gora and it’s savage, can’t believe they will serve up lame flow trail for a dh World Cup but worried looking at this.
  • 9 0
 @jimmythehat Czarna Góra is much better place for hosting event like that... so... maybe in the future Wink
  • 8 0
 Czarna Góra MT was a host of Polish DH championship multiple times in the past...few enduro races too. But Sienna (the town at the foothill) is just tiny and I don't know if there is any local organization powerful enough to step in as a host . Lets see how the 1st DH WC goes and maybe it will open up some future possibilities for that location
  • 2 0
 @makaron: I think there is, Arek Perin is involved a lot in Czarna Góra and I think he has pretty good partners that operate multiple bike parks along with ABC , there is at least 5 or 6 of them in a group. Kasina, Krynica, Wisła, Czarna Góra and some more. And Lower Silesia Region would definitely be able to bring everything together. Besides there is Srebrna Góra and singletrack glaciensis not to far as well and zdolni Morava just across the border.
  • 17 7
 I see that the key board warriors are extra critical this morning after seeing 4 jumps on a DH track. It looks like there are a bunch of fresh cut bits. I'm sure it'll be beat to hell after a few hundred racers go down it. Also excited for a new track and a new host country.
  • 5 1
 Plenty of people (myself included) commented that the Loudenvielle track looked lame when it was first shown last year. It turned out to be one of my favourite races of 2023.
  • 4 0
 @commental: ditto, I roasted it on Brunis channel, he highlighted my comment . They made more changes (after reading comments) and it was a killer track by race day
  • 4 0
 @commental: oh dont compare Loudenvielle to this.. Lou is steep as f*ck but this polish track is typical european red line with few loamy parts
  • 4 0
 @zaboradh: I've ridden 90% of lourdenville and that shit is serious. Tech as could be. This track doesn't come close
  • 1 11
flag EikSkaloe69 FL (May 9, 2024 at 23:56) (Below Threshold)
 @commental: don't speak if you have nothing positive to say?! Didn't your mummy teach you that?
  • 10 1
 I did a track walk on Wednesday....
What you see is max 1/3 of the route.
The track is 90% new. It has a lot of fresh loose loamy places where a lot of stones and maybe roots will come out. These mountains have a huge amount of loose stones. There are 3 steep sections but I don't know if they are steep enough for WC but they are on loamy. But I think it could be steeper because there are places like that. There are two maybe three places where there will be a choice of lines but 2 max 3 lines.
Missing, I mean there is no rockgarden (there is one 3m section of loose stones) or a section with roots.
The construction of the route is said to have been overseen by the junior world champion from a few years ago.
  • 2 0
 The last part is very intersting. Except last year all juniow world champs are from Australia, Canada, GB and Ireland, so not too close to the venue.
  • 4 0
 Ruaridh Cunningham Director of gravity sport UCI MTB world series Junior world champ 2007
  • 3 0
 @Maxcommencemal: Thanks. That is a bit more than a few years though. Smile
  • 11 0
 I hope this video is showing the boring bits of the track only.
  • 2 1
 no mate.. not this time.. will be jumpline-berm racing
  • 9 0
 That doesn't look very steep Blank Stare
  • 9 1
 Put the DH bike aside for the weekend and bring out the mid travel trail bike.
  • 6 1
 For real looks pretty mellow compared to the MSA, VDS, and Snowshoe. I hope its not a flow trail the whole way down.
  • 6 1
 I'm very excited about this round, the first time Poland will host UCI. The scope of Polish mountain land has loads to offer, and I'm sure the organisers won't disappoint with such a unique opportunity.
  • 17 1
 But Warner Bro /Discovery will....
  • 10 1
 Poland does not have loads of mountain land and the best of it is protected in national parks, but there are real mountains around, sure. The best thing about it that there are loads of unsanctioned trails and the building community is vibrant here. The DH track probably will not be the most exciting one.
  • 3 0
 World Cup yes, this is the first time, but we had European DH Champs three times in Poland - 2004 in Walbrzych and 2015 + 2016 in Wisla.

Don't expect much from this DH track in Szczyrk* though...

*The actual DH track is in Szczyrk, Bielsko Biala is just a larger city nearby.
  • 1 0
 @kuejku: Oh, 2004 in Walbrzych/Szczawno was FUN Big Grin Big Grin
  • 7 0
 Wow, I hope this gets steep or 'wooded' at some point, that looks shocking
  • 7 0
 Doesn't look super impressive, hopefully that changes this weekend!
  • 4 0
 I just had a Quick Look at the forecast for next weekend And so far I doesn’t look to promising weather wise . Rain. And knowing the nearby enduro tracks , it will be challenging to race there in the wet.
  • 3 0
 /puts Danny Hart into Fantasy team/
  • 1 0
 Yup. Wunderground now shows showers in Bielsko and Szczyrk on friday, and thunderstorms on the weekend. I only hope sunday will be a fair race for everyone.
  • 3 0
 Hey, I get it, the UCI and Disco suck sweaty balls. BUT remember Loudenvielle last year. People shit all over it and then it turned out to be the raddest track. That said the video did not help by only showing the same four jumps over and over.
  • 8 4
 I've seen the lower section of the track IRL, it's not a Slopestyle course believe me Smile I think they are keeping few things as a surprise in the preview.
  • 4 1
 nie, niestety nie, (wczoraj byłem) chyba, że do wtorku coś jeszcze porobią
  • 7 1
 @Guncar: TRANSLATION
no, unfortunately not (I was there yesterday), unless they do something else by Tuesday
  • 4 1
 Why does this video suck so bad? Not a "look" so much as a peek. Music is stupid, too much slo mo, same few dumb features on repeat. Whoever made this video doesn't know anything about this sport.
  • 2 0
 Ok, so here's a little track walk I found on the webs www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujPCkt7aHig&list=WL&index=3
Higher on the mountain, our dude walks mostly next to the track, from 8:21 he rides on the actual track, except for the berms and jumps (so not to destroy them).
When he says bes-TEE-yah he means the old Bestyja DH course.
The riders cited by him says the track is rather soft and loamy, and should get blown out quick after people start practicing on it, so probably roots will come out. What makes it more interesting is the weather forecast - showers/thunderstorms fri-sun.
  • 1 0
 If you're curious about the enduro tracks, Moi Moi has just posted www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSA9sHmH1kI
  • 4 0
 Track testing one week before WC ? xD I've been waiting for some POV of track....
  • 2 1
 Hey,

Is anyone who knows for sure that on Thursday and Friday AVARAGE, everyday people can ride the Bielsko-Biala bike park? We are planning to go for 4 days long weekend, but it would be great to ride 2 days and spectate for 2 days.

The Bike park did not answer in mail neither on Facebook message.

Thanks!
  • 2 4
 Best bet mate would be to contact the park.
  • 6 2
 Hi, the Szczyrkowski bikepark will be closed 17-19.05 for bikers: www.szczyrkowski.pl/rowery/puchar-swiata-uci-2024 (there is no proper english version, sorry).
So no, the very bikepark where WC is held will be closed. Some trails will also be closed for the EDR. But, most unstanctioned trails are open Smile Send me a private massage, I have a nice collection of gpx tracks.
  • 2 0
 Hey @tajtigabor, according to my research, Szczyrk (UCI DH site) will be open for riding until Thursday, May 16th, with some trail closures. I will be heading there that day. On the other hand, Bielsko Biala Trails (UCI Enduro site) will be open throughout the week, with the majority of trails closed apart from green and blue trails.
  • 5 1
 Hey UCI, I heard a rumor that little-known Whistler Bike Park has an actual World Cup worthy DH track on the hill.
  • 3 0
 Just to show that there are dh worthy tracks - George Brannigann visited Czarna Góra www.instagram.com/reel/C60iLnko6GM/?igsh=MTJnaW01YTAzeGx5OQ=
  • 1 0
 Uhhhhhh ... why does the UCI website now show that Poland will only be hosting EDR #2?? No DH? It shows DH #2 as being in Leogang on June 7-9? Did someone make an executive decision and drop Poland from hosting gravity this year??

www.uci.org/competition-hub/2024-uci-mountain-bike-world-cup/6BCZY2ZIDMZdCWN7Ee5WD3
  • 2 0
 After poking around a little more on their website, its prob just a glitch in them keeping all of their web content accurate and in sync. The other tabs and pages on their web site still show it hosting DH
  • 1 0
 Ok, so here's a little track walk I found on the webs www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujPCkt7aHig&list=WL&index=3
Higher on the mountain, our dude walks mostly next to the track, from 8:21 he rides on the actual track, except for the berms and jumps (so not to destroy them).
When he says bes-TEE-yah he means the old Bestyja DH course.
The riders cited by him say natural parts of the track are new and rather soft and loamy, and should get blown out quick after people start practicing on it, so probably roots will come out. What makes it more interesting is the weather forecast - showers/thunderstorms fri-sun.
  • 2 0
 Shit, sorry for double-posting, it didn't show on the first try...
  • 4 0
 Isn't this the round where the organisers didn't want the DH, just Enduro?
  • 5 2
 Did NOT see ONE propper broken or rough part of track in the whole friggin video. Whip Off world champs perhaps?
  • 1 1
 There are many worthy dh venues in the world. It all depends on who wants to step up and make the investment. Then the permits have to be approved to bring thousands of people into the locale. Living a mile from a NASCAR track made me realize that not everyone wants this.
  • 4 0
 No Kurwa's?? No bueno...
  • 3 0
 If there are no kurwa’s thrown around it probably wasn’t shot in Poland.
  • 3 1
 UCI World Cup of Wooden Kicker blue trails.
  • 1 1
 I’ve only been into watching and keeping track of WC DH races for a couple years and this does not look like a World Cup level course!!!
  • 3 1
 lol
  • 1 0
 Wow flowy Bikepark trail. That kills Downhill Worldcup
  • 1 0
 Proper curveball for the Fantasy Team picking though!
  • 2 2
 oh, git it. Just a similar kit. Not BK, just a BK look-alike stig.
  • 2 2
 Lame!! Not very World Cup.
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