Quick chat with three winners of the opening round: fastest woman Simona Kuchyňková, fastest man Miha Smrdel and fastest junior man Miha Jerkič.
Simona Kuchyňková, 1st place women
“I was struggling after last year’s injury, it was my first race in a year, so I’m stoked I came back to SloEnduro. I was trying to get to race pace and I’m stoked to win.”
“The stages were physical and long. I had to figure it out and to pedal so much on every stage. I had to find that agression that I have when I’m riding. I found it by the last stage so maybe I have to wake up a little bit earlier. A really good race to open the season. Maybe I’ll be back to SloEnduro for Borovci.”
Miha Smrdel, 1st place men
“The expectations are high now, especially if I’m off the podium, then it’s a failure.”
“There are quite some fast guys. Miha Jerkič for sure, then Kristjan Medvešček who returned, he is super fast, then of course Vid Peršak, but he is not here half of the season. And Ivartnik and the Kamplc guys…”
“I’m not going to Finale World Cup, I’ll have my high school final exams this year so I’ll miss the first part of the season, I’ll just go to France and then maybe the second Italian round.”
Miha Jerkič, 1st place junior men, 2nd overall
“It all went good for me on the stages, all as planned. Maybe a bit more pedalling, but otherwise ok.”
“Us locals could have a bit of an advantage. The trails were not taped as much now, they were closer to what they are normally, so you could let go.”
“I’m counting on junior title, sure, and we’ll see about the overall as we go. We’ll go as high as we can.”
“This year I’m planning to race the Leogang and France rounds of the World Cup.”
Race report
SloEnduro Kamplc 2023 | A great season start in Ajdovščina!
