{"id":61862,"date":"2026-06-15T17:34:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T15:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sloveniadownhillcup.si\/2026\/dh-poseka-prvo-bitko-sta-dobila-niemiz-in-mlada-avstrijka-scholz\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T17:41:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T15:41:54","slug":"dh-poseka-niemiz-and-young-austrian-scholz-win-1st-round-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slodhcup.pumptrack.si\/en\/2026\/dh-poseka-niemiz-and-young-austrian-scholz-win-1st-round-battle\/","title":{"rendered":"DH Poseka: Niemiz and Young Austrian Scholz Win 1st Round Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A large turnout of over 170 riders, good conditions on the short but varied track, and exciting battles across numerous categories marked the second DH Poseka race at the Poseka Bike Park in Ravne na Koro\u0161kem in Northern Slovenia, which kicked off the 2026 Slovenian national series 20chocolate Downhill Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The event was flawlessly organized by the ZK\u0160TM Ravne na Koro\u0161kem team in collaboration with the Ravne Cycling Club at the park, which last year recorded over 35,000 rides using its Easy Loop lift system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vabljeni v Bike park Poseka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Men’s Winner From Gori\u0161ka Brda<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Marko Niemiz (Bikehanic Lumar) from Gori\u0161ka Brda was already in contention for the win at Poseka last year during the race\u2019s inaugural edition; in the seeding run, he was hot on the heels of Luka Berginc, but crashed in the final and finished in 6th place. Now, at 24 years old and riding his (own) downhill bike, he has claimed his second elite victory in the Slovenian Cup\u2014he surprisingly won his first on an enduro bike at the 2024 season finale in Sljeme, Zagreb. Last year, when he won the national championship title in Maribor, Austrian Sebastian Weinhandl finished ahead of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"marko
Marko Niemiz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This time, Niemiz was followed at Poseka by two young riders from the Gorenjska region, both competing in the elite category for the first time: in second place was Maks Struna (KK Zavr\u0161nica), last year\u2019s overall runner-up in the junior category, and in third place was Nejc Dagarin (MTB klub Kranj), who finished fourth among juniors last year. In the overall ranking with the juniors, however, junior Svit Kunaver Smolkovi\u010d (Niemiz \u2018s team mate in Bikehanic Lumar) squeezed in between Niemiz and Struna with the second-fastest time in the final, trailing the winner by 0.9 seconds. On the overall podium for the top five, fifth place went to another elite rookie, Jakob Lorber (Golovec Trails).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Marko Niemiz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"maks<\/a>
Maks Struna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"nejc<\/a>
Nejc Dagarin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Svit<\/a>
Svit Kunaver Smolkovi\u010d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Marko Niemiz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Niemiz was already the fastest in the qualifying round, followed by local rider Tian Pe\u010dnik (KK Ravne na Koro\u0161kem), an enduro rider who won here last year in the junior category; Struna came in third. Pe\u010dnik had a rough final run and finished in 7th place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the combined junior and elite standings, the order determines the prize money for the UCI categories; but it\u2019s also worth mentioning the winner in the under 17 male category. Gaber Novak (Rajd Ljubljana) finished just one-hundredth of a second behind third-place finisher Struna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt was interesting. I thought I\u2019d be able to improve my time in the final, but that wasn\u2019t the case. Still, a win is a win, and I\u2019d say I\u2019m in good form. The course is quite unique\u2014short, but with plenty of roots. It\u2019s not exactly the kind of course I\u2019d say suits me. For the rest of the season, I plan to compete in more international races, but still just for fun, as much as I feel like it. If the national team selects me, I\u2019ll also compete in the European and World Championships, and maybe some iXS European Cup races.\u201d<\/p>\nMarko Niemiz<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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