{"id":46881,"date":"2021-07-26T13:06:36","date_gmt":"2021-07-26T11:06:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uniordownhillcup.com\/?p=46881\/"},"modified":"2021-07-26T13:14:29","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T11:14:29","slug":"first-winners-of-2021-and-new-slovenian-dh-champs-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sloveniadownhillcup.si\/en\/2021\/first-winners-of-2021-and-new-slovenian-dh-champs-are\/","title":{"rendered":"First winners of 2021 and new Slovenian DH champs are…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On Sori\u0161ka planina the crowns in elite categories go to Monika Hrastnik and Luka Berginc. A duel for the books in men’s elite category between Berginc and Jure \u017dabjek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The 2021 Unior Downhill Cup<\/strong> dates were only published a month ago so nobody could say how the turnout would be for the first race. Do the riders have bikes? Did they get ready for the races? Did they get their licenses? Did they plan to spend time somewhere by the sea in July?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end a hundred riders showed up for the 6th edition of Downhill Sorica<\/strong> and the 30th Slovenian downhill National Championships<\/strong> race. It was quite a mix of top riders, come backs, gravity adventurers and even a number of enduro competitors. The 1650 m track from just below the top of Lajnar peak with a 280 m drop is not one of those open new school tracks where you can only be fast on a long downhill rig with lots of travel. In parts it is steep, tight and rich in roots and off-camber turns and traverses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end Luka Berginc<\/strong> (KK \u010crn trn, in cover photo) won his first elite title in front of Jure \u017dabjek<\/strong> (Unior – Sinter) and \u017dan Pir\u0161<\/strong> (Bikehanic – 20 Chocolate) took bronze in his first elite year. In women’s race Monika Hrastnik<\/strong> (DH Visit Pohorje) won her fifth title in front of \u0160pela Horvat<\/strong> (Supersnurf) in second and Nina Kova\u010d<\/strong> (Rajd Ljubljana) in third. Enej Podlipnik<\/strong> (Bikehanic – 20 Chocolate) won men’s junior title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matej Kerec<\/strong> (KK Zavr\u0161nica) is the new U17 male champion, A\u017ebe Kalin\u0161ek<\/strong> (Bikehanic – 20 Chocolate) won in U15 male category and Miran Vauh<\/strong> (DH Visit Pohorje) had one of his incredible Sundays in masters category where he won chainless with 5th overall time of the final run. Andreas Vidovi\u010d<\/strong> (DH Visit Pohorje) won the amateur class and Jure Tuni\u010d<\/strong> (Wolf Racing Team) the quite numerous hobby class since many riders didn’t bother to get licenses for the season that could not happen at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berginc, king of Sor’ca<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There were two main favourites in men’s elite category and it was confirmed in the seeding run. Jure \u017dabjek, the four time national champion and Slovenia’s most successful downhill races of all time, was 0.95 up on Luka Berginc. Luka, two years younger than Jure, won at Sori\u0161ka planina in 2016 and 2017, and Jure won in 2015. The 2020 junior champion \u017dan Pir\u0161 was 8 seconds back and Jan Cimperman<\/strong> (MTB Trbovlje) who is returning after injury was 9 seconds back. Things would have probably been much tighter with \u017dak Gomil\u0161\u010dek<\/strong> (Unior – Sinter) and Ale\u0161 Virti\u010d<\/strong> (Bikestore.cc), the 2020 championships in Maribor gold and silver, on the start list. But they are both on the other list, the injured list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jure
Jure \u017dabjek, photo by Marko Obid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the final there were no upsets towards the end of the run and the gaps were tight. Cimperman unseated Marko Niemiz<\/strong>, another first year elite rider and Pir\u0161’s teammate on the Unior – Sinter development team Bikehanic – 20 Chocolate, who finished 5th in the seeding run. The Cimperman’s time got improved by Pir\u0161 who secured a championship medal. Both leads were by less than a second but then the gaps increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n