The Bielsko-Biała World Cup in Poland kicked off the season for downhill racers and continued it for Enduro athletes. In typical World Cup fashion, the rain came down (along with snowfall near the top of the mountains), and the tracks turned into a slick mess. A new qualifying format debuted for the downhill race in which riders would get two chances to qualify, and no one had the previous protected rider status. All the riders seemed excited about the changes, and the Polish fans showed up to cheer on their favorite athletes even in the adverse weather conditions.
First up, the EDR World Cup racers took to the tracks. After the brutal two-day race in Italy, Poland provided a one-day, all-out brawl with five stages, 37 km, and over 1,300m of climbing. Ella Conolly (Cannondale Bikes) stood on the podium after the five stages of racing in Elite Women, taking second on the day and taking over the series leader jersey. Junior Women saw Lacey Adams and Chloe Bear from Yeti Fox DEVO on the podium in second and third.
In the Elite Men’s race, you couldn’t have written the story better with hometown hero Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti Fox Factory) taking his first-ever EDR World Cup victory at his local race. Lukasik used the Maxxis Assegai on the front and DHR II on the rear for the win, relying on their excellent grip through the tough conditions.
Moving onto the downhill race, the athletes fought tooth and nail to get into finals with the new qualifying format, making for a highly entertaining event for fans around the world. Tire choice was constantly varying with the changing weather, with Maxxis riders going from the High Roller to the Shorty and then to the Wetscream.
The Elite riders got a glimpse of what they’d be up against when the Junior riders got things rolling for finals and the track got more rain and snow. New Santa Cruz Syndicate rider Eliana Hulsebosch found success at the first race, landing on the Junior Women’s podium in third and Norco Race Division‘s Lina Frener took second. Tyler Waite with Yeti Fox Factory fought through the mud to earn second in Junior Men’s.
The Elite riders took to the track in worse condition after the Juniors, rolling out of the start gate and into the snow. Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and brand-new Yeti Fox Factory racer Camille Balanche charged to third and fourth place in Elite Women while Camille’s teammate and EDR legend Richie Rude placed fourth in Elite Men – a massive result for the former Junior Downhill World Champion.
Another World Cup weekend of wet and wild racing in the books. XC Racers are back at it again next weekend in Nové Město – we can’t wait for more action!
