Video & Race Report: Round 1 of 20chocolate DH Cup & auner Austrian Gravity Series in Maribor, Slovenia

Words: 20chocolate Downhill Cup

The 20chocolate Downhill Cup 2024 started in style – on a classic track with a new section in Maribor, with a great turnout with over 200 riders from 10 countries, good weather and exciting racing.



In the first 20chocolate Downhill Cup 2024 points race of the year and also the opening race of the Austrian Gravity Series, Žak Gomišček (Wolf Racing Team) was fastest in the men's race and young Austrian Rosa Zierl (Keen Momentum) in the women's race.


Gomilšček's Still Got It


Two-time Slovenian downhill champion Gomilšček (2020, 2022), who lost almost the whole 2023 season due to injury, secured his place as the last rider to take to the track in the final run with the fastest time in the seeding run. By then, the Austrian Nikolas Kolle (Bikeclub Giant Stattegg), tenth in the seeding, has been sitting in the hot seat for a while. His compatriot Christof Stulik, second fastest in the seeding, finished almost ten seconds behind. In the end, however, the 23-year-old Gomilšček set the best time of the day on "his" course, where he won his first national title in 2020. He beat Kolle by 3.24 seconds with a time of 3 minutes, 24 seconds and 12 hundredths of a second. Stulik was third. Last year's overall winner Luka Berginc unfortunately missed the race due to work commitments.


Fast Youngsters


The riders in the younger categories were also fast. For example, the winner imen men's junior category, Italian Simone Leo, Gomilšček's teammate, also took a slice of the prize money by finishing fifth overall. In the U19 men's ranking he was followed on the podium by Austria's Marco Fender (URC Ötztal) and Slovenia's Matej Osolin (Calcit Bike Team). The winner among the U17 men, Ažbe Kalinšek (MTB Trbovlje), who was even faster than all the elite a week ago in Lošinj, was the third fastest of all, just behind Kolle. In this category, Vicent Vodan (UR Team), a German with Slovenian roots, came second, and Austrian Xaver Vogl (Keen Momentum) was third.

Austrian Up-and-Comer Rosa Zierl


In the women's category, which brings together runners from juniors to elite, 16-year-old Rosa Zierl had no real rival. The serial international winner in her age categories, who has also been in the factory development programme of Cube Bikes since this year, became the 2021 European champion in the U15 category in Maribor. This time, compatriot Kerstin Sallegger (OMNi BiOTiC PowerTeam) came closest to her with the second time of the final, while Rosa's local peer Eva Zala Strgar (DGK Pohorje - Spank Team) came third. Only three hundredths of a second behind her was Germany's Maxima Jaax (TSG 1847 Leutkirch), while the fifth fastest in her first downhill race was Slovenian junior Maša Komel (KK Črn trn), twice winner in the SloEnduro series.

Other Categories Were Also Exciting

Italian Riccardo Vender (Centro Bike Val di Sole) won in the boys U15 category and Lynn Maria Berger (SCM Pinzgabikers) of Austria won in the girls U15 category.



The fastest in the master category was Austrian Jörg Neuhart (Sportunion Hinterbrühl-Wexltrails), while local Jure Logar (427 Savage Squad) was second in his first race in 12 years. Jošt Štrucelj (Alliance ASE Racing Team) won the amateur category.

The U13 class riders competed on a shorter course, with Hungarian Colin Szepesi (Rad Company Racing Team) winning the boys' race. Charlotte Schleicher (Radunion St. Johann i. T.) won the girls' race.

Results

Men include junior and elite categories and Women include U15, U17, junior and elite categories.

Full Results

European Cup Next on New Track

There was no sign of nice weather on Friday, when the rebuilt World Cup course from the Luka hut to the bottom station of the gondola was open for riding. The riders were getting to know the track in the wet, but they knew that on Saturday, the day of the official training, the seedin and the final runs, the conditions would be completely different.


The new section, the first forest section after the start at Luka hut, stood up well to the first test. After the official opening of the season in the Pohorje Bike Park on 11 May, it will be open to the public - but beware, it's not for everyone. Racers will be back in action on track between 23 and 25 August for the Maribor round of iXS European Downhill Cup.

Thanks to the Pohorje Mountain Bike Association (DGK) and the Spank team for putting on the event, and to the fans for the great atmosphere along the course!