On first Sunday in September one of the first Super-D races in Europe takes place in Kranjska Gora.
The first September weekend from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd a mini cycling festival is being held in ski & bike town of Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. The epic 28th edition of Vršič road hillclimb race is the name of the game on Saturday. On Sunday all breeds of mountain bikers will battle in Fun bike park Kranjska Gora in one of the first Super-D events in Europe. Actually second one as far as we know, first one in Slovenia of course.
The XC/DH mixing event is called the Vitranc Super-D. The discipline is completely new in Europe but has been flourishing in the US since 2003.
The course from the top of the chairlift fed bike park will be some 3 km long and the race should last anywhere from 5 to 6 minutes for the fastest riders. The race is a mass start format with Le Mans style take-off. Each category in its own heat. The first section is uphill. Two more uphill sections follow, one mid-course and the other one just before the finish. All together about 1.30" climbing for a reasonably fit rider on a mid-weight freeride bike.
All the downhill sections are obstacle-free, wide and not too steep. Most of the course is also wide enough to pass. So it is really hard to say who will be the fastest, DH or XC types. All-round types who can both descend and climb have the most chances by all means...
The course will be marked on Saturday so it can be ridden all day long from 9 am to 7 pm. On Sunday the course will be open for training from 9 am to 1 pm. At 2 pm the first heat starts from the top. Exact start times for categories will be posted. The awards ceremony follows at 4 pm at the bike park base.
Entry fee is 4000 sit (16.70 euro) with pre-registration and 5000 sit (20.90 euro) at race day registration, a bargain with day-pass included. You can pre-register (with name, year of birth, race category and team name) by latest Thursday August 31st to snurfclub(at)siol.net .
Number plate and pass pick-up Sunday from 9 am at park base. Race day registration until noon.
The first Slovenian Super-D event is meant more as a party than a real race. A day of fun in the bike park with a race in between, so everyone is invited. We will probably witness anything from XC to DH bikes, lycra to full body protection. With probably the most efficient all-mountain/enduro and light freeride bikes in the middle. Besides the bike, a helmet is the only required piece of equipment.
From 2 to 3 pm the regular park users will be occasionally stopped on top of the park.
Special accomodation deal during the Kranjska Gora festival - at minumum two nights a half-board stay will cost just 29.21 euro per person a night. Call +386 4 588 44 77 or email booking(at)hitholidays-kg.si
Links:
Fun bike park Kranjska Gora www.bikepark.si/eng/index.php
