Halfway through the SloEnduro season, the racing was once again excellent and intense on Gorjanci mountain. In the women’s race, a new name is right in second place on the long course, and in the men’s race, in the absence of the top three, it’s an interesting battle for the top.
Between Novo mesto and Trdinov vrh, again a real summer race on dry tracks. In round 4 out of 7 of the thirteenth season of the series, Miha Smrdel (MBK Črni Vrh), two-time winner of Gorjanci and two-time SloEnduro champion, is back on top in the men’s category, while in the women’s category, while Nežka Libnik (KK Ravne na Koroškem) doesn’t give the slightest chance for any surprises in women’s race.
The organisers from the Zverinice Cycling Club from Novo mesto have prepared five different special stages between Gabrje and Trdinov vrh on Croatia’s border in southeastern Slovenia. Although there were no new trails added, the approximately 200 participants from seven countries found many new features, even sections, on the familiar trails. It was also not too hot in the forests of the Gorjanci mountain, and the wind was cooling. So the 1250 vertical metres of the long course was somehow manageable. Of course, not for everyone.
Smrdel Fends Off Attacks
Now 21 years old, Miha Smrdel from Godovič achieved his first overall victory in SloEnduro here in 2021 as a junior, when he was still competing in cross-country. He repeated his victory the following year and also ended both seasons as the overall winner of the series. The last two years he was beaten by South African Keira Duncan (winner 2023, second 2024) and last year’s winner Vid Peršak.
Miha last reached the top step of the podium in SloEnduro a year and almost two months ago at Borovci in Ilirska Bistrica. In between there were seven races in the series, one of which he missed to compete in the World Cup. This time he didn’t let himself be overtaken, although it didn’t go smoothly. He started in third place in the Ciklama, moved up to second place in the second Lipa Naša and stayed there after a 4th place in the third stage Šerif. The fourth, longest stage of Biciklama, also the Shimano SuperStage, was the decider. Here he won, the only one with a time under six minutes, and took the lead from David Ivartnik (Golovec Trails), who had led since the first stage, and held it in the last Travnik stage.
Ivartnik, who also competes in the World Cup like Smrdel, had to settle for second place after his fifth place in the Biciklama, where he lost a good 8 seconds. Third place went to junior Ian Laharnar (Kamplc Racing Team), who made his first appearance with the number one plate in the absence of Hungary’s Aron Babo and Slovakia’s Luboš Stano. Ian made a poor start, then moved up to second place with his second time on the Biciklama and stayed there despite a poorer placing on the short Travnik, where the gaps were small.
“Good race, a bit different this year than usual. Ivartnik was quite strong from the start. In the first three stages we were all in front within a second or two. It was close, but I didn’t worry too much. On the fourth stage, manage to build a gap,” said Miha.
Tim Jež (Kamplc Racing Team) and the other junior Maks Struna (KK Završnica) also finished on the men’s overall podium in 4th and 5th place respectively.
Aron Babo remains at the top of the overall standings, with two wins and one second place. Luboš Stano is second, with Smrdel moving up from fourth to third, just 10 points behind Stano. Laharnar is fourth and Ivartnik fifth.
Neža Still Full Speed Ahead
Junior Nežka Libnik, who chose SloEnduro over of a World Cup race in Austria this weekend also due to school commitments, won for the fourth time in a row. Seventh even, counting last year’s final, one World Cup and one downhill race! If we add the previous races on the U17 course, who knows… Again, apparently without any tactics, she ended up with a good one and a half minute advantage over her nearest pursuer at 17 and a half minutes of racing.
That closest pursuer was another first year junior Ana Inkret (Calcit Bike Team). Her placing is great news as she missed all of last season’s races due to a knee injury. Last time she competed in the U17 category, so SloEnduro now instantly has a new contender for the women’s podium on the long course.
Third place went to Croatian Larisa Bošnjak (BBK Šišmiš), the multiple Croatian cross-country champion who also finished third in Nova Gorica two months ago in her first enduro race.
Neža Štern (MTB klub Kranj) was 4th, another rider born in 2008 like Libnik and Inkret, and Maja Vojska (MBK Črni Vrh) 5th. If the first place was already reserved for Nežka, the other four swapped places throughout the race, leading to the podium: Neža started second and Maja third; Ana moved to second in the second stage and Larisa moved to third in the marathon fourth stage of the Biciklama.
In the overall standings, Nežka has a strong lead over Slovakia’s Valentina Grendova, who skipped the race. Neža Štern is third 30 points behind.
In Long Course Categories
The fastest juniors Laharnar and Struna therefore made it to the overall podium on the long course and Jakob Lorber (Golovec trails) took third in junior category. The second junior from Cilenca started the day as fastest junior and second overall in the first stage behind his coach Ivartnik, but despite winning the third stage, he was not able to keep up and by the end he had built up a 22-second gap behind Laharnar, who was picking up speed.
Babo remains at the top of the junior standings, Laharnar is second with 150 points less, Blaž Stres (Kamplc) is third.
In the absence of Nejc Huth, the fastest master for the first time was Mitja Potočin (KD Hrastnik) in master 1. In master 2, Matej Bizjak (SD Strahovica) was the winner (also for the first time), and in master 3, for the third time this year, Branko Maček (ŠKK Pendalna). Jaša Šonc (KD Brez zavor) won in the amateurs category, also for the first time, and David Ropotar (Celje trails) won in the e-bike category with wins in all stages.
Zinutti Wins His First in U17
It was intense again in the U17 male category. With a great second stage, Italian Davide Zinutti (AB Santa Cruz Vittoria Team), who came to Cilenca two weeks ago to try SloEnduro for the first time to finish 3rd, took the lead. The youngster from Cavazzo in Friuli, already a winner in the Italian series this year, didn’t let go of the lead until the end and celebrated his first victory in Slovenia.
He was followed closely in second place by Lenart Sever (KK Črn trn), who remains firmly at the top of the standings. Third place went to Anže Ličen (Kamplc Racing Team), his biggest success so far in this category, where he is competing for the second season.
Lana Kuzma (Črn trn) won the junior women’s duel ahead of Irina Marie (CS La Hoya) of Romania.
On Shorter Courses
Rene Kovač (Kamplc Racing Team) won the U15 boys category. He and his clubmate Tjaž Stres, who was second this time, have two wins each, with Stres leading the standings with a lead of 80 points.
Three U15 girls competed, with cross-country rider Maša Gregorc (SD Strahovica) winning for the second time in a row.
The 4Fun category was won by Austrian Daniel Apreutesei (Radlager Mountainbikeverein).
Rok Žavbi (SD Strahovica), a cross-country racer, was the surprise winner in the U13 category on the shortest course. Thus, the Strahci Team who are considered a cross-country club, are returning home with victories in three categories.
All results from SloEnduro Gorjanci
SloEnduro series standings
Next Time With National Titles Included
The SloEnduro series will continue on 21 and 22 June with the SloEnduro Perkmandlc in Mežica. This will also be this year’s national enduro championship. Who’s coming to Koroška? Everyone who is fast in this discipline in Slovenia! Plus some international competition to spice things up and for series points. It’s going to be hot on the eastern side of the Peca mountain, even if it happens to be fresher.
Propositions and registration for SloEnduro Perkmandlc Mežica, 2025 National Championship
Photos Matej Lovrič / Obalna BIKE scena
