After a break in August, the Slovenian Downhill Cup resumes on 8 September at Kope with the fifth and penultimate race. For DH Kope, a new course and a new finish area.
After Maribor, Kranjska Gora, Soriška planina and a guest appearance in Lienz, Austria, the 20chocolate Downhill Cup series has just two more rounds in September.
The Bike Park Kope in the western part of the Pohorje mountain range last hosted a downhill cup race two years ago. The developing mountain bike park, which has been managed by BATT Crew since this year, is a pleasant summer refuge for cyclists from the summer heat. It may be the other way around this time: if it might not be hot in the valley on 8 September, it will certainly be hot on the downhill course at Kope.
Wild Rooster and More
The track is new, perhaps only touching the line of the one from 2022, when Tina Smrdel and Jure Žabjek won on 22 August, here and there. It partly follows the Wild Rooster red line, but also includes some sections built just for the race. It is mostly on natural terrain, including roots, rocks and grassland, but there are also some machine-built elements. Like the old track, it runs on the left side of the Pungart ski slope, but before the end it will turn right across the ski slope for the first time, ending above the bottom station of the four-seater of the same name, at the entrance to the park by the restaurant. The finish area will thus be more attractive than the one a little lower down.
The DH Kope track is not the longest or the steepest – at 1290 m in length it descends 175 m vertical. On the old track the fastest times were still over two minutes, but there is no data from the new course yet.
Schedule
The track first opens for riding on Friday during park operation hours (10am to 6 pm). It will be much more lively at Kope on Saturday. After the morning track walk, the track reopens for riding at 10am and closes at 6pm. On Sunday, the official training will take place from 10am to 1pm, with the seeding run starting at 1.30pm and the final at 4pm.
Registration
Entries for the DH Kope are open until Wednesday 4 September.
Registration and full information about the event here.
Three Winners at the Top
The winners of the first three rounds also make up the top of the ranking for men ahead of the September rounds. DH Pohorje winner Žak Gomilšček (Wolf Racing Team), also second at the Soriška planina and fourth at the national championship in Kranjska Gora, leads the way ahead of national champion Tilen Leban (Deš Fleš) and Soriška planina winner Miha Jerkič (KK Črn trn). Last year’s series winner Luka Berginc (DGK Pohorje – Spank team) is still at zero points, due to a shoulder injury he will also miss this weekend’s World Championships and there is little chance he will be back at Kope. In the women’s series standings, Tina Smrdel (MBK Črni Vrh) will defend her lead at Kope.