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After a short break, the journey continues to Schladming for the grand series finale and the famous International Rookies Championships. This event became famous thanks to the holiday region of Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, which hosted this international competition for the fastest young racers the last time. But a little change never hurt anyone. Even after the change of location, the IRC is developed further and its status as the most important race for young talent will be maintained. Racers like Valentina Höll (AUT) and Jackson Goldstone (CAN) were able to gain a lot of attention and get well-known riders of the scene early on. Now it is time to take a look at the approaching event from 30th of September to the 2nd of October 2022, to discover the new rising stars of the scene.

Schladming is located in north-western Upper Styria in the upper Enns Valley. The town is framed by the Dachstein to the north and the Niedere Tauern to the south. The Schladming Planai is known for winter sports: the Alpine World Ski Championships were held here in 1982 and 2013, as well as the Special Olympics in the winters of 1993 and 2017. A few years later, the Bikepark Schladming was also an integral part of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and hosted the "NotARace - iXS Test Session" during the Corona pandemic. There, well-known riders such as Tahnée Seagrave, Brook Macdonald, Loic Bruni and several other pros competed. It becamer clear quickly: Schladming will be a perfect venue for the grand series finale and the exciting International Rookies Championships.

The highlight of the season of course also needs a strong organisation in the background: Bike School Pekoll will again act as an organiser. It has Planai Bergbahnen GmbH as well as the tourism region Schladming-Dachstein and RC WSV Schladming as supporters at its side. Only through a lot of commitment and mutual trust, such an event can take place and also be developed further. Therefore, all the involved people are proud to support the up-and-coming generation in downhill sport and to promote racing careers.

The race will take place on the famous World Cup downhill course, which winds its way down through the forest into the valley from the middle station for about 1.5 kilometres. This is where a high level of riding technique is obligatory, because high steps, different jumps and difficult root passages demand a lot from the young athletes. Those who are not yet confident enough for the big obstacles have the opportunity to ride around difficult sections, using the chicken-way. You can park in the finish area, but parking spaces are very limited. You can request a parking space directly from the Planai Bergbahnen at birgit.walcher@planai.at and have it reserved. However, you can only park in the finish area and use the area as a parking space for the race if you have a valid confirmation. If you want to camp, you can reserve a pitch nearby (200 m from the finish area). You can contact the campsite operator directly at Bike Camping Schladming-zirngast.at or office@zirngast.at. Information on hotels, flats and bed and breakfasts is available at +43 3687 23 310 and info@schladming-dachstein.at

Now it's time to be quick, because the starting places are coveted. Registration opens today! The timetable for the weekend you can find here.