After the summer break, it’s time to continue the season in 20chocolate Downhill Cup, the Slovenian downhill series. On Saturday, August 23, riders will compete in the first edition of DH Weissensee in Carinthia, Austria.
This is this year’s guest appearance of the series in Austria, a joint race with the auner Austrian Gravity Series. Nothing new! The Austrian Cup has been hosted in Maribor and Kope before, then we shared DH Peca in the 2023 season and DH Lienz last year. DH Weissensee will be the fourth race for points in the 20chocolate Downhill Cup series and the fifth for the auner Austrian Gravity Series this year.
New Track Above Lake
Weissensee is a small tourist resort in western Carinthia, Austria, a 25-minute drive from the more famous Hermagor or an hour from the Karawanken Tunnel. It also boasts a number of mountain biking trails, 13 marked tours with a total length of 160 km, as well as a park with three trails with an altitude difference of just under 400 meters and a four-seater chairlift that runs to Naggler Alm.
Between these trails, in the southwest of the picturesque 11.6 km long lake, which offers many beautiful views, new sections have been built for the race, connecting an attractive, approximately 2 km long race track. The new forest sections are steep and fresh, loamy, just as downhill riders like them. To avoid everyone having to struggle with the first forest section, the youngest categories will start below it.
The track builder and competition director is Timmy Fockenberger, who has several seasons of serious enduro racing under his belt, including SloEnduro and the World Cup. The creative director is Mario Ramirez with his RC Madhouse Bike (R)evolution club. We can also see Mario among the masters riders at some Slovenian downhill races.
Schedule and Side Events
The track will be open for training on Friday, with new sections opening at 3 p.m. On Saturday, after morning training, the seeding run will start at 12 p.m., followed by the final at 4 p.m.
Sunday will be for enjoyment! All competitors are invited to an extended weekend by the lake, with camping available at the venue.
Both competitors and their companions will have plenty to do throughout the weekend. Two trails that are not part of the competition course (Panorama and Naggl Trail) will be open. At the finish line, there will be exhibitors who will also have test fleets of bicycles with them. On Saturday, after the award ceremony, there will be a party. It goes without saying that the lake offers a wide range of water sports!
Registration
Registration closes at midnight on Wednesday, August 20. Please note that registration is limited to 250 participants. Link to registration