Victory for Leona, second place for Stan! Fantastic results on the opening round of iXS European Cup race on Lošinj. The race that took place in the changing conditions was looking even better, but both Jure and Ben crashed in the super finals.
The whole downhill team traveled to Croatia for the first big race of the season. We didn’t get the nice summer seaside weather we’re all hoping for, but the results make it worth for all hard work done in the challenging conditions. The rocky track on Lošinj is harsh on its own, with pouring rain it becomes a battle for survival. Jure was familiar with the track from before, so he only did the runs he needed to do, but for Leona, Ben and Stan this was a new venue and they had to do more runs. First day in the wet wasn’t promising – except for Stan who felt like back home in Scotland (minus the rocks) – but the progress on sunny Saturday was exceptional and we’re looking to both qualifications and finals.
Saturday qualies went as planned, with all riders making it to the finals. Leona was 2nd, Stan was 3rd, Jure 11thand Ben 15th. Leona and Stan both did even better on Sunday – with Leona taking her first elite victory and Stan getting on the second step of the podium on his first EDC race.
Ben & Jure also had high hopes for top results and went to the track with confidence and determination. But slippery rocks took the better of them and left them without chances for top result. Nobody got hurt, which is a positive turnout in the situation.
Leona Pierrini: “My first victory in the elite, that makes me very happy! The weekend wasn’t easy, I had a hard time over these three days. I’m not used to wet conditions like this, it was very slippery and I think I crashed six times over the past days. Luckily all was good with that. The morning was difficult with the new rain, so I went to the race with a safe and smooth run. I didn’t have confidence for anything else, but it was working today, and I won! Victory in these hard conditions makes it even better!”
Stan Nisbet: “The track was wet, the conditions were hard, but it ended up being a good race run and only a couple of mistakes. I’m really happy to get on the podium on my first iXS European Downhill Cup race!”
Big thanks to all staff and riders for good work over the weekend! It wasn’t easy, but the results are here!
Photos: Grega Stopar
