{"id":64933,"date":"2026-09-21T11:33:47","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T09:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/2026\/dh-sotejska-za-konec-sezone-malo-blata-in-veliko-zabave\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T16:16:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T14:16:38","slug":"dh-sotejska-za-konec-sezone-malo-blata-in-veliko-zabave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slodhcup.pumptrack.si\/en\/2026\/dh-sotejska-za-konec-sezone-malo-blata-in-veliko-zabave\/","title":{"rendered":"DH Sotejska: A Bit of Mud and Plenty of Fun to Round Off the Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 20chocolate Downhill Cup, the Slovenian mountain bike downhill series, the, concluded last Saturday with the DH Sotejska race in Soteska, in the municipality of Dolenjske Toplice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Members of the Pank Kura Sports and Cultural Society from Dolenjske Toplice \u2013 who are also responsible for three beautifully maintained bike trails on both sides of the River Krka \u2013 rolled up their sleeves to mark the society\u2019s 18th anniversary and organised a proper race for the first time. Not just any race, but a downhill race \u2013 and the final of the Slovenian 20chocolate Downhill Cup. For this purpose, they prepared a fourth trail in the Soteska Trails on the right bank of the Krka above Soteska. Due to the strenuous manual labour required on the rocky karst terrain, they named it after the tool most frequently used \u2013 Macola (the sledgehammer).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1.7-kilometre-long track, with a vertical descent of 357 metres, is no downhill motorway due to the terrain. Even less so in difficult, wet conditions, which is why, in the end, only the fastest riders could boast times under four minutes. Although conditions improved during the day, the track remained slippery even during the final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downhill fans and local onlookers packed the area around the most exciting sections (read: jumps) and the finish line, where the final jump reigned supreme, for the final run. All the conditions were in place for an exciting day to round off the national race series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Victory for Berlot in Men\u2019s Elite<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the men\u2019s elite competition, the focus was on the battle for the overall victory, as the leader, Marko Niemiz (Bikehanic Lumar), had been sidelined by injury since the European Championships. After four races, Maks Struna (KK Zavr\u0161nica) was in the best position, though national champion Matej Osolin and Jakob Lorber (both Golovec Trails) were not far behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Struna was the fastest in the seeding run, earning 100 points. Although he did not repeat that performance in the final, having to settle for third place \u2013 sandwiched between his rivals Lorber and Osolin \u2013 his total of exactly 900 points from the five rounds was enough to secure the overall title. Second-placed Niemiz scored 820 points, whilst third-placed Lorber scored 798.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"maks<\/a>
Maks Struna takes the overall title<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Jakob Lorber back on podium<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Struna, Lorber and Osolin are 19-year-olds competing in their first year among the senior riders and, alongside Niemiz \u2013 who is five years their senior \u2013 have been leading the pack this year. Niemiz watched the battle for the overall victory from the other side of the tape, whilst another 19-year-old, Vid Berlot (KK Zavr\u0161nica), watched from the hot seat. In the seeding run, he recorded the third-fastest time despite a fall; so by the time he took the lead at the finish with a time of three minutes, 52 seconds and 33 hundredths, only Osolin and Struna remained on the track. However, Lorber came closest to him, finishing 3.02 seconds behind, whilst Struna was 3.63 hundredths of a second behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"vid
Vid Berlot’s first win<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vid Berlot has thus added his name to the list of Slovenian Downhill Cup race winners with his first victory. The young rider, who, like many others from the \u017dirovnica club, started out in the junior cross-country categories and now successfully combines competing in enduro and downhill, achieved his best result this year in downhill with a fifth-place finish at the national championships in Kranjska Gora. He finished ninth at Sori\u0161ka Planina and missed the first two races. Last year, too, he recorded two fifth-place finishes in the junior category. With 260 points earned at Soteska, he climbed from 14th to 7th place in the final standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cConditions kept improving during practice; the track started to dry out, and things got faster and faster. In the qualifying run, I fell just before the final jump, but I still finished third. In the final run, I went even harder \u2013 I crashed twice again, but I managed it, I made it through!\u201d<\/p>\nVid Berlot<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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