A true return to summer for the 2023 series finale, with some close racing and some upsets in the overall standings.
The eleventh season of SloEnduro, Slovenia’s international mountain bike enduro series, is in the books. Once again, we returned to Grožnjan in the north-west of the Istria peninsula, just 15 kilometres from Slovenia into Croatia – it is the first year after over three decades that the border actually no longer exists. If there was anything wrong the past weekend, it was too hot on the climbs and the trails too dusty. But who could complain about that on the first of October? Otherwise, we’re sure everyone will sign up to just put it in the rules that the final MUST be hosted by BBK Grožnjan.
In the seventh and last race of the season (the eighth was the national championship, which for the first time did not count for points) 255 riders from six countries lined up for the start. Four special stages with about 1100 vertical metres of climbs and descents awaited them on the long course, with the e-bike category having an additional one. The short course participants raced in three stages, while the U13 category raced in two.
Ivartnik’s second victory
David Ivartnik (Golovec Trails), number two in the overall standings, led the men’s long course race with wins on the first two stages. In the last two he finished third, not too far behind, and the total was enough for his second win in the SloEnduro series. The first time was two years ago in Kočevje.
Behind David it was a tough fight for second place. The third stage, the Spar Online SuperStage and also the longest in the race on the Pertići track, which has been renovated and is back in the race, was won by the national downhill champion Luka Berginc (DH Visit Pohorje), who tried his hand in SloEnduro for the second time this year. In the fourth and last stage, Nejc Huth (Energijateam.com) was the fastest, having missed the previous race and was eager to break back onto the podium of the overall standings. In the end, Huth earned second place, just four hundredths faster than Berginc at a race time of almost 12 and a half minutes!
Fourth place went to Miha Smrdel (MBK Črni Vrh) and fifth to Jan Markič (ŠKTD Avče).
Smrdel’s third title
Miha Smrdel did not have his best day, finishing fifth and three times fourth on the stages. But even that was more than enough for his third consecutive SloEnduro title. This year he won the first two races (Kamplc and Borovci), was second in Gorjanci and now fifth, but missed Cilenca and Krokar. One worst result for each rider was deducted anyway.
The second place in the overall standings was confirmed by David Ivartnik‘s victory, while the third place was defended by Jernej Kavčič (MBK Črni Vrh), the winner of Krokar, who was sixth this time. He finished the season just 10 points clear of the fourth-placed Huth.
New women’s winner
Tina Smrdel (MBK Črni Vrh) arrived in Grožnjan with her second title in the women’s category already in her pocket. On Saturday she was still training on the track, but on Sunday she fell ill and didn’t make it to the start. Of the previous SloEnduro winners, Teja Cerar (Golovec Trails, winner in Grožnjan two years ago) and Gorana Težak (BK Buzet, winner of Trnduro 2018) were at the start, but it was clear that we could also get a new winner in the series.
However, the experienced Istranian Gorana Težak fared the best. She won the first and the third stage, and therefore also the longest Spar Online SuperStage, and even though she lost the second stage to junior Maša Komel (KK Črn trn) by almost 5 seconds, she was leading into the last stage by 17 seconds. However, it was in the last stage that her derailleur failed, she had to run alongside the bike too, and all her advantage vanished. To be more precise: she lost all her advantage plus 24 hundredths of a second, and the young Nova Gorica rider Maša Komel, wearing the Ajdovščina club jersey, was able to enjoy her first victory in the series in her first season, after one third place and two second places (plus silver at the national championships). Third-placed Teja Cerar was not far behind, after winning the last stage she finished less than 4 seconds behind Maša.
The title went more than deservedly to Tina Smrdel, winner of four races, while Maša Komel came in second ahead of Maja Vojska (MBK Črni Vrh).
Polovšak confirms among juniors
Jan Polovšak (Bosch Black Hole Enduro Team) confirmed his junior title with his third consecutive victory. The first stage was won by Italian Daniel Martini (Trieste Gravity Team), but then the rider from EWS Petzen-Jamnica region took the initiative, won all three remaining stages and won with a 7.9 second advantage over Maj Babačič (Calcit Bike Team), Martini was third.
Polovšak is also the overall winner, followed by Cilenca winner Babačič and Kamplc and Perkmandeljc winner Miha Jerkič (KK Črn trn), who missed the final with an injury and was overtaken by Babačič.
Veterans, amateurs and e-bikers
Among the veterans, Austria’s Tino Huber (Team Dorrong) was the fastest, winning master 1 ahead of Stefano Varnerin (ASD Federclub Triest) and Janko Bačnar (Pedal Racing Team). In master 2, Branko Belingar (ŠKTD Avče) won, having missed the first race due to commitments, and in master 3, Michael Strohmayer (MK Factory Racing Team), who has spent most of the season recovering from a skiing injury.
The overall winners are Marko Fink (KD Zverinice) in master 1, Grega Nagode (Energijateam.com) in master 2 and Martin Brus (Kamplc Racing Team) in master 3.
Among the amateurs, Žiga Šemrov (ŠKD Super Potential) defended his overall victory, his challenger Nejc Šikman (ŠD Grabit) having retired in the first stage with a broken rim.
In the e-bike category, the competition was strong, with Germany’s Valentin Schleicher (Radon Bikes) beating Poland’s Marcin Motyka (Dartmoor Enduro Team) by 18 seconds, with Sebastjan Prinčič (MTB klub Boshk) in third.
U17 upset on short course
The U17 male category was on fire again, with 45 riders competing. With wins on two of the three stages, Ian Laharnar (Kamplc Racing Team) was the fastest with a 5.83 second advantage over Juš Ažman (KK Završnica), who won the last stage. Third was another Završnica member Maks Struna. In the overall standings, Laharnar won the overall title with only five points ahead of Anže Kofjač, another Završnica rider who was leading before the final, but this time he was only 11th. Third is Ažman.
Among the U17 girls, Nežka Libnik (Bosch Black Hole Enduro Team) won for the seventh time, taking the title with all the points available.
Aljaž Prosen (Kamplc Racing Team) won the U15 boys for the second time. His clubmate Jakob Praček withdrew after a crash in SS1 (and win in SS2!) but had enough advantage to win the overall title. In the U15 girls, Zala Krečič (also from Kamplc) won, and the overall victory went to Vita Vaner (DGK Pohorje – Spank team).
In the 4Fun category there were 37 competitors, the winner was Luka Horvat (MTB Postojna).
And the youngest…
Tjaš Stres (Kamplc Racing Team) won the two-stage race for the third time this year, with three second places it enough for the overall victory. In the U13 girls’ race, Eva Podvornik (MTB club Kranj Scott Team) was once again only able to compare with boys.
SloEnduro Grozni 2023 results
All final standings here
Thank you to all the riders, their families, clubs, supporters and of course the organisers for another memorable season! We will draw a line under it towards the end of the year with the award ceremony for the best at the Slovenia Cycling’s Mountain Biking Commission event.
Photos by Matej Lovrič
