The Slovenian Downhill Cup starts this weekend in Planina v Podbočju with a race organised by the newly founded 35 Crew. Four minutes of action on a wild new course.
And not just the 20chocolate Downhill Cup, as the Slovenian Downhill Cup has been called for the last three seasons. It’s hard to count all the venues that have hosted this race series in the 32 seasons since 1993. But there has certainly never been one in Dolenjska region in southeastern Slovenia.
This weekend, in cooperation with the Slovenian Cycling Federation and the 20chocolate Downhill Cup organizing team, the members of the newly founded Three Five club, otherwise known as the 35 Crew, will change that. The crew, headed by Gašper Kodrič, has been a fixture in downhill races for many years as members of other teams. The idea of organising a race on the local Planina trails also sped up the founding of the club, which had been on their minds for quite some time. So the Slovenian downhill family got a new team as well.
Planina? Podbočje? Four Minutes of Action on Gorjanci!
DH Planina is a new race in the series, so it’s only fitting to write where we’re heading.
Planina v Podbočju is a village in the eastern part of the Gorjanci mountain range, in the municipality of Krško, right on the border with Croatia. There are more than enough hills for downhill racing here. They also had a ski lift a few years ago, but of course there is no chairlift or gondola, so shuttles will take care of the uplift.
The course has a 500 metre elevation drop, just a little less than the World Cup course in Maribor. It is about three kilometres long, and only the fastest riders are expected to reach the finish line in less than four minutes. There will also be some seriously attractive sections where it’s sure to be loud.
The team area and the race office are close to the start, and the awards ceremony is also there. The finish is on the road to Stojanski vrh. So it is a ‘reversed’ venue, similar to Sljeme.
On Track With Gal Jevšenak Kodrič and the Jurečič Brothers
Schedule
We are keeping the classic timetable from last season. Saturday free track riding, Sunday morning number plate pick-up, official training from 9am to 1pm, then the seeding run starts at 1.30pm and the final run at 4pm. The award ceremony is scheduled for 18.30.
The Cycling Federation is also organising a free guided enduro tour as part of the Let’s Go Cycling programme! Details are coming in the propositions and on social channels.
Registration Until Midnight!
Entries close at midnight today, Monday 12 May. Registration form in the propositions or go straight to prijavim.se registration site. https://prijavim.se/calendar/checkings/6001/dh-planina-2025/
So at the moment we can’t say which will be the favourites for the race. Last year we had six winners among the men’s elite in six races. We are counting on all of them to come to the first clash of the new season.
20chocolate Downhill Cup 2025
This year’s Downhill Cup has six races, two of which are across the border, one in Austria and the other in Croatia. The season opened on 22 March with a promotional day in Ajdovščina, timing included.
The second race will take place two weeks after the first one, the DH Poseka on 1 June in the Poseka Bike Park in Ravne na Koroškem. Another new race in the series.