The enduro race at the seventh Ljubljana MTB Vikend powered by Mastercard festival (4–6 September) will once again stretch across two days and two venues, but with a big novelty for the SloEnduro series: racing in pairs. This format is used on some of the races around the world, but it’s now a welcome addition to the strong Slovenian enduro scene, hence also the new name DUO SloEnduro Golovec Trails.
In many respects, enduro is the most authentic competitive discipline within the broad spectrum of mountain biking racing. In Slovenia, it enjoys a strong reputation thanks to the well-established and internationally recognized SloEnduro series and organization of the Enduro World Series events. It is also worth noting that junior Nežka Libnik just won the Enduro World Cup, while Vid Peršak has been competing with the best for many years.
Golovec trails in Ljubljana is a proper trail park and the central hub of the scene in the wider Central Slovenia region. Together with Bike Park Ljubljana, it forms the core of the mountain biking offering in the city, and the two parks are also brought together by the Ljubljana MTB Vikend powered by Mastercard festival — and once again this year by the enduro race course.
“Last year, we organized a SloEnduro cup race at Golovec, but this year it’s time for something new. We are returning to a more relaxed format and, for the first time, organizing an enduro race in pairs. It will still be all-out racing, but this year there will be much more emphasis on cooperation, tactics and good company,” explains Tadej Tekavčič, president of Golovec trails, adding: “At Golovec trails, the community always comes first. That is how we build trails, organize events and develop the club. That is why we believe this format is a good choice. We want to see at the start people who have never considered entering a race before, while it will also be highly attractive to everyone who enjoys racing for results.”
The choice of partners will already be interesting, as the categories are divided according to the combined age of the two riders, meaning that speed will not be the only thing riders will need to worry about.. This will lead to some interesting combinations and quite a few surprises. Competitors will be able to ride each stage multiple times and improve their time, while the final result will be based on the best time achieved by each of the two riders in the team.
The youngest riders will compete in their own Mini Enduro race, which will take place on Sunday, 5 September, over two simple stages at Golovec. Children born between 2016 and 2020 will have the opportunity to compete against their peers and bravely take on an easy course. Entries for this race are being accepted at info@golovectrails.com.
Useful links for participants in the enduro pairs race:
Race Registration
Race details on SloEnduro.com (in Slovenian)
Full festival schedule
