Finally a dry race at Dobrna. We will remember round five of 2023 for long transfers and climbs and tight racing for the win.
Start of summer holidays and some top riders taking part in World Cup race in Italy shortened the start list a bit for round five. But in a way that made the racing two weeks after the National Championships in Trbovlje only more intense.
Hot weather and 1400 vertical meters of climbing on the long course put the endurance into enduro at the eight edition of Krokar (Raven) race organized by the namesake club from Dobrna. After Saturday’s training lap some transfer times were extended but there was still no time for easy spinning to the start on race day.
Four stages, four winners
With top four men from the series ranking missing (Miha Smrdel, David Ivartnik, Miha Jerkič and Vid Peršak plus Jan Markič raced in Val di Fassa World Cup) the fight for the win in men’s long course race was wide open.
The experienced Nejc Huth (Energijateam.com) won first special stage Terme and stayed in the lead until the last stage of the day. Even if Jernej Kavčič (MBK Črni Vrh) won SS2, the Spar Online SuperStage and Tim Krašovec (Wolf Racing Team) was the fastest on SS3 on Japka trail. Then Tim Jež (Kamplc Racing Team) won SS4 on Ledena trail and moved from 5th to 3rd overall. Huth finished the final stage 6 seconds down in 5th place, two placed and less than 4 seconds behind Kavčič, but it was enough for Kavčič to move into first by 1.96 second and win his first SloEnduro race in his first elite year!
Krašovec finished in fourth and the fastest junior of the day Jan Polovšak (Bosch Black Hole Enduro Team) in fifth place.
Results men overall
- Jernej Kavčič (MBK Črni Vrh) 13:40.71
- Nejc Huth (Energijateam.com) +1.96
- Tim Jež (Kamplc Racing Team) +6.19
- Tim Krašovec (Wolf Racing Team) +6.74
- Jan Polovšak (Bosch Black Hole Enduro Team) +34.89
Miha Smrdel defended his series lead in absence. Huth moved from 5th to 2nd and is now only 60 points behind Smrdel. Krokar winner Jernej Kavčič is now third.
Tina loses her follower early on
Tina Smrdel (MBK Črni Vrh) won all four special stages including the Spar Online SuperStage and won by quite a margin over second placed teammate Maja Vojska and third placed Damjana Munih Kacafura (Pedal Racing Team). An all Primorska region podium which would also be in case of a different outcome. Namely the National Championships silver medallist Maša Komel (KK Črn trn) took off well and finished SS1 less than 3 seconds behind Tina. But then she damaged her bike in a crash on SS2 and dropped out of the race.
Tina Smrdel increased her series lead, Vojska is in second and Tamara Homar (ŠKD Super potencial) in third place.
In long course categories
So Jan Polovšak won men’s junior (U19) category, this is his first junior win in his second season in this category. Maj Babačič (Calcit Bike Team) finished second and Maks Oblak (ŠD Supersnurf) third. Babačič is still the series leader with Polovšak close second just 10 points behind, Jerkič is third.
In amateur men Nejc Šikman (ŠD Grabit) in 10th overall beat the serial winner Žiga Šemrov (ŠKD Super potencial) by 6 seconds. Austrian Walter Zeidler (Do-Biker Bruck) of master 1 category was the fastest master rider, Hungarian Balázs Ziskó (FRO Racing) won in master 2 and Slovenian Martin Brus (Kamplc Racing Team) in master 3.
Iztok Slapnik (Golovec trails) won the five stage e-bike category race.
Short course
In the three stage race Anže Kofjač (KK Završnica) won the U17 male category from Hungarian Áron Babó (FRO Racing) and his own teammate Juš Ažman. This is Kofjač’s second win this year and he is leading the strongest SloEnduro category where 68 riders already won points.
Nežka Libnik (Bosch Black Hole Enduro Team) took another win in female U17 category from Ana Inkret (Calcit Bike Team) and Neža Štern (MTB klub Kranj Scott Team).
In the competitive under 15 boys where there are 7 riders swapping podium places it was win number 4 (including the National Championships) for Jakob Praček (Kamplc Racing Team), Jurij Antler (KK Črn trn) finished second and Svit Kunaver Smolkovič (MTB klub Kranj Scott Team) third.
Marko Gumzej (ŠD Brez zavor) won the promotional 4Fun category race.
Under 13
Tai Bizjak (KK Ravne) won the race in the youngest category which took place on two shortest stages which are also closest to town. Gal Novak (Rajd Ljubljana) finished second and Rene Kovač (Kamplc Racing Team) third.
All SloEnduro Krokar results
Series ranking after five rounds
Coming up next…
There are only two rounds left until the end of the season plus one very popular promotional event. We’ll see you again after the summer break, on September 2 – 3 at SloEnduro Gorjanci in Novo mesto, Slovenia. See calendar here
Photos by Matej Lovrič @obalnabikescena
