The first ever enduro race in Mežica coming up this weekend. Back to the terrain of EWS 2018 and EWS-E 2022.
The first two rounds of the season are behind us. After Ajdovščina and Ilirska Bistrica there are two more rounds ahead of us in the month of May: in Mežica and Zagorje ob Savi. Let’s concentrate on the new event in Koroška region first. Mežica, the venue of SloEnduro Perkmandeljc, is just up the valley from Jamnica and on other side of Petzen mountain, the venues of two EWS races in the past.
The local organizing team headed by Primož Doler is working under the guidance of MTB Koroška and Damjan Kalčič who’s been organizing events in the region for years and decades, Black Hole Bike Fest and EWS included.
These are old mining towns so the event is named after cave dwarf Perkmandeljc.
The field
We’ve had record numbers of riders at this year’s first two rounds are we are hoping for another great turnout at round 3. Some international riders entered early like the Austrian Peter Mihalkovits who probably didn’t show his top speed in Ilirska Bistrica or Tarmo Ryynänen, second placed from last year’s Grožnjan and also at EWS Crans Montana in the U21 category. As usually most of Slovenian top riders will register in the last two days. If his Achilles tendon feels okay on Saturday morning we just may see Vid Peršak at the start as well.
As usually the registration deadline at prijavim.se is Thursday night.
The course
Mežica is a new venue in the SloEnduro series and no other enduro race ever started from this town. But this does not mean that the trails above it didn’t see any enduro racing! In 2018 the Petzen-Jamnica EWS race course made a turn to these parts and last year some EWS-E stages were held here as well.
As published in the propositions, there will be four special stages on the long course.
As usually we will publish the course details on Friday.
The venue
The start and finish area as well as the race office and podium will be located at the Narodni dom, Mežica’s culture hall.
The program
Due to higher numbers of participants at first two rounds the news »standard« schedule is: Saturday’s training from 11 am to 6 pm and Sunday’s roll out from 9.30 am.
The weather
So far it doesn’t look like a dry weekend, but let’s wait a couple of days for a reliable forecast. But… Can there be bad weather at an enduro race? Of course not, maybe just more challenges!
What to do in Mežica
Maybe you will be able to find time to visit the Peca Undeground, the abandoned mines of Mežica. On a bike as well. On the “normal ride” or on the notorious Black Hole Trail. The weather might be nicer than on the ferata.
SloEnduro Perkmandeljc details in propositions
Live timing at timing.sportident.com
@sloenduro @sloveniacyclingfederation @bikeski.si
#sloenduro #mtbkoroska
2018 EWS photo by Duncan Philpot/EWS
