Even a different downhill track can be a challenge, the riders from eleven countries found out in East Tyrol. Wins to Austria, Hungary, Namibia and Slovenia, with the men’s race taking a turn with a downpour.
The winners of the Saturday’s Ride Free Downhill Bike Race in Bikepark Lienz, or DH Lienz for short, the fourth race of the Slovenian 20chocolate Downhill Cup and the second of the auner Austrian Gravity Series, were Steffanie Grossmann (Radunion St. Johann), a Namibian living in Tyrol, in women’s and Lienz local Markus Kamper (Ride Free Osttirol) in the men’s elite category.
Alongside Steffanie, her club teammate Emma Bindhammer and Slovenia’s Tina Smrdel (MBK Črni Vrh) took second and third place respectively in the combined junior and elite female category. Only the winner reached the finish line of the approximately 2000 m long course with 400 meters of vertical drop in less than four minutes. Just over 6 seconds separated the top three.
In the men’s race, Slovenian Miha Smrdel (MBK Črni Vrh), the SloEnduro champion in second place, was a second and a hundredth behind the winner, while third-placed Daniel Mandler (Trail Monkeys Osttirol) was 3.72 seconds behind. For the men, who were the last to take to the course, the weather was the deciding factor. In the pouring rain, the dusty, already slippery track turned into an even bigger skating rink and no one came close to Kamper and Smrdel, who started at the start. Mandler and fourth-placed Florian Grilnberger (Lietz Biketeam), who was the last to take to the track, both showed great rides in the difficult conditions.
The best time of the day went to another local, the winner of the juniors. Jamie Schmölzer (Ride Free Osttirol) – who also recorded the POV of the track before the race – clocked 3 minutes, 31 seconds and 35 hundredths. He was followed on the podium by two members of team Završnica of Slovenia: Juš Ažman was second and Anže Kofjač third.
Unfortunately, the day in Lienz was without a seeding run due to a ski lift breakdown. With a different start list for the final, the outcome of the race might have been different, but the fact that the ski lift could not be started before the evening could not be changed. The final was also prolongued due to interruptions caused by crashes in the younger categories. Although the Alban Lakata trail could be called “flow”, it was a big challenge for the competitors both dry and wet with 50 (or more) turns.
230 participants, 11 countries
A few fast riders from both countries, Austrians and Slovenians, were competing at the European Cup in France. But the competition in East Tyrol, on the very edge of the Dolomites, was still strong. Nine other countries were represented among the 230 riders.
So it was lively in the other categories too. Florian Hiebaum (AUT, Radunion St. Johann) won in U17 men’s and Eva Zala Stergar (SLO, DGK Pohorje – Spank Team) in U17 women’s category.
In the U15 categories, Lynn Maria Berger (AUT, SCM Pinzgabiker) in the girls and Jakob Praček (SLO, Kamplc Racing Team) in the boys were on the top step of the podium. In the youngest U13 category, Charlotte Schleicher (AUT, Radunion St. Johann) and Colin Szepesi (HUN, Rad Company Racing) won.
Kurt Exenberger (Radunion St. Johann) won in the younger veteran category and Rainer Narr (Sport Narr) won in the older category.
All the results from Lienz
In the Series Standings
Not much has changed at the top of the rankings, at least in the membership categories. In the men’s category, Žak Gomilšček (Wolf Racing Team), who missed the race in Lienz, remains at the top, ahead of Tilen Leban (Deš Fleš), who was only 21st this time, and Miha Jerkič (KK Črn trn), who was also absent in Austria. Matic Kvas (DGK Pohorje – Spank Team) climbed from moved to 4th in the standings with a 14th place in Lienz, while Žan Šlibar Verovšek (Alliance ASE racing team), 9th from Lienz, jumped into the top ten in 7th place.
In the women’s standings, leader Tina Smrdel extended her lead over Maša Komel (KK Črn trn), while Eva Zala Strgar overtook her and is now second.
See You at Kope
The 20hocolate Downhill Cup continues with the fifth round on 8 September on the new track in Bike park Kope. But before that, you can compete in the auner Austrian Gravity Series: on 17 August in the Bikepark Königsberg in Lower Austria. All information will be available at www.lines-mag.at/austrian-gravity-series
Photos by Friedrich Simon Kugi @fskugi