Mit einem Klassiker in die Downhill-Saison
Maribor is a classic among downhill races. Since the end of the 1990s, a number of international mountain bike races and even World Cups have taken place on the local mountain of Slovenia's second largest city. The 2.6-kilometre-long and technically demanding course attracts a full field of starters and some of the best downhill riders in Europe at the start of the season. However, none of the top favorites flash at the top, but the soon-to-be 20-year-old David Trummer. The young Austrian was already no unknown quantity. In Maribor, however, he secured his first serious victory. Trummer took it in impressive style, distancing second-placed Slawomir Lukasik from Poland by almost four seconds. The Swede Robin Wallner finished in third place.
Swiss rider Maxime Chapuis also made a good start to the season. After a mixed seeding run, the timed run to determine his starting position in the main race, the Frenchman rode into the mud in 29th place. In the final race on Sunday, Chapuis was able to turn up the heat in better weather conditions and achieved a respectable eighth place - just a good second behind the podium. Lutz Weber also put in a good performance with 20th place in the final race.
Repeat offender Cernilogar
Local hero Zarja Cernilogar starts the 2014 iXS European Downhill Cup as she finished the series last year - with a victory in her home race. The Slovenian downhill champion shows who the "hostess" is with a lead of over ten seconds in the seeding run. The same picture emerges in Sunday's final run. However, Mariana Salazar from El Salvador brought about a change in the places of honor. After finishing fourth in the seeding run, the Central American champion moved ahead of Czech Jana Bártková into second place.
Géraldine Fink was the best Swiss skier. Compared to the seeding run, Fink improved in the final run and moved up to sixth place. However, the podium is still ten seconds away. Carina Cappellari is close behind in eighth place. Although twenty racers is still not a lot, there is a pleasing upward trend. We can only hope that more women will make the pilgrimage to the downhill races again in the future.
In the u17 category, victory goes to Germany. Till Ulmschneider beat Italy's Mirko Manazzale and Slovakia's Filip Zeman into second and third place. The American Bennet Newkirk, who lives in Switzerland, and the Swiss Jérôme Müller are unable to compete for the top places, finishing 13th and 14th respectively.No Swiss rider can keep up with the Masters riders either. Where the Czech Rostislav Stencel is in a class of his own, Jérôme Crottaz is the best Swiss rider in eighth place.In five weeks, the iXS European Downhill Cup will continue the seven-part race series with another classic in Schladming (AUT). The trip to Schladming is also worthwhile as a spectator, because with Brendan Fairclough (GBR), Josh Bryceland (GBR), Rémi Thirion (FRA), Samuel Blenkinsop (NZL) and Loic Bruni (FRA) - to name just a few - there are big World Cup stars on the start list.www.ixsdownhillcup.com
| Rankings 1st round iXS European Downhill Cup Maribor/SLO | |||
| Men | |||
| 1. | David Trummer (AUT) | RRP Ghost | 0:03.30,148 |
| 2. | Slawomir Lukasik (POL) | NSbikes FroPro | +0:00.03,889 |
| 3. | Robin Wallner (SWE) | Team W-Racing | +0:00.04,089 |
| 4. | Ondra Stepanek (CZE) | Krabcycles Trek | +0:00.04,529 |
| 5. | Johannes Fischbach (GER) | RRP Ghost | +0:00.04,577 |
| 6. | Benny Strasser (GER) | Solid Bikes by Bikeunit | +0:00.05,038 |
| 7. | Cameron Cole (NZL) | RIDING ADDICTION | +0:00.05,092 |
| 8. | Maxime Chapuis (SUI) | +0:00.05,227 | |
| 9. | Markus Pekoll (AUT) | MS Mondraker | +0:00.05,377 |
| 10. | Manuel Gruber (AUT) | Radon Factory DH | +0:00.05,391 |
| 20. | Lutz Weber (SUI) | Swiss Downhill Syndicate | +0:00.08,897 |
| 34. | Pascal Tinner (SUI) | Swiss Downhill Syndicate | +0:00.11,956 |
| 40. | Dominik Gspan (SUI) | ewz Mountainbiketeam Loop | +0:00.13,147 |
| 68. | Basil Weber (SUI) | Team PROJECT | +0:00.18,612 |
| 75. | Colin Favre (SUI) | +0:00.20,166 | |
| 76. | Billy Caroli (SUI) | MagMaBike | +0:00.20,404 |
| 83. | Lars Peyer (SUI) | TEAM SC-INTENSE | +0:00.22,185 |
| 94. | Mike Schär (SUI) | Gates Nicolai Mountainbiketeam | +0:00.23,504 |
| 96. | Tim Kälin (SUI) | Swiss Downhill Syndicate | +0:00.23,898 |
| 100. | Nicolas Cherix (SUI) | Cyclone Factory Team | +0:00.24,738 |
| Women | |||
| 1. | Zarja Cernilogar (SLO) | Blackthorn GT | 0:04.22,645 |
| 2. | Mariana Salazar (ESA) | MC Racing | +0:00.07,712 |
| 3. | Jana Bártková (CZE) | Bikeplac Racing Team | +0:00.10,170 |
| 4. | Elke Rabeder (AUT) | Mauna Loa DH Pro Racing | +0:00.16,325 |
| 5. | Alia Marcellini (ITA) | LeeCougan Dirty Factory Team | +0:00.18,843 |
| 6. | Géraldine Fink (SUI) | +0:00.20,117 | |
| 7. | Simona Jirková (CZE) | GIANT cycling team | +0:00.21,362 |
| 8. | Carina Cappellari (SUI) | Suspension Center | +0:00.21,803 |
| 9. | Kim Schwemmer (GER) | Double Distribution | +0:00.23,490 |
| 10. | Sonia Skrzypnik (POL) | MTB Team RMF FM- ROCKSTAR ENERGY | +0:00.25,363 |
| u17 | |||
| 1. | Till Ulmschneider (GER) | Young Guns | 00:04.05,275 |
| 2. | Mirko Manazzale (ITA) | Airoh Axo Santacruz | +0:00.01,670 |
| 3. | Filip Zeman (SVK) | CTM Racing Team | +0:00.01,879 |
| 4. | Valentin Chatanay (FRA) | TEAM CLIC VTT | +0:00.05,079 |
| 5. | Andrea Bianciotto (ITA) | ASD SESTRIERE BIKE CLUB | +0:00.06,326 |
| 13. | Bennet Newkirk (USA/SUI) | Team PROJECT | +0:00.20,324 |
| 14. | Jérôme Müller (SUI) | +0:00.20,597 | |
| Masters | |||
| 1. | Rostislav Stencel (CZE) | Bikeplac Racing Team | 0:03.53,268 |
| 2. | Frank Hedwig (GER) | RAD - ART | +0:00.06,492 |
| 3. | Christian Vogt (GER) | RIP/Skilift Sägenhof Urach | +0:00.08,316 |
| 8. | Jérôme Crottaz (SUI) | Cyclone factory Team | +0:00.26,947 |
| 13. | Claudio Tanadini (SUI) | 981DH team | +0:00.32,565 |
| 14. | Urs Sturzenegger (SUI) | SPORT PLANET DH solo rider | +0:00.35,545 |
| 21. | Gabriel Maier (SUI) | Anthrax Racing | +0:00.47.313 |