Over 300 athletes from 13 nations came to Oberhof for the PROPAIN Rookies Cup. The weather conditions were perfect and the atmosphere was as relaxed as ever. The bike park on the Rennsteig presented a short but very challenging course.

The second PROPAIN Rookies Cup took place on the weekend of the summer solstice in Oberhof, Thuringia. And more sunshine than on the previous days is simply not possible. As a result, the town known for its winter sports shone with midsummer temperatures and dust-dry conditions. And it was precisely these two factors that were the big themes of the weekend.

The small bike park in Oberhof was already full on Thursday, as Corpus Christi was a public holiday in some German states, meaning that some families arrived very early. However, the official start was on Friday with the track walk. Even then, it was noticeable that the 1,100-metre course with a difference in altitude of only 120 meters was very dry and the dust would probably be the biggest difficulty of the weekend.

The next big challenge was the temperatures, which climbed to 30 degrees on the Sunday of the race, so it was important to keep a cool head, drink plenty of fluids and manage your strength and reserves well. The accompanying families and support staff were also in demand, as they were responsible for looking after the athletes, but also had to protect themselves as well as possible from the sun.

Saturday then started with an extended training session, which was interrupted by a few track closures. Nevertheless, the participants all managed to complete the necessary training runs so that they were well prepared for the start of the seeding run. As was to be expected, the youngsters went into the first timed run of the weekend fully motivated and so there were already the first signs of their ambitions for the podium places in the final.

Sunday is the final day and so it was the day everyone had been waiting for. In the morning, it was time to complete a few more training runs, perhaps make some last-minute changes to the lines and then concentrate fully on the all-important final run. The atmosphere in the finish area was relaxed and familiar despite the tension. In the end, Samuel Kerda, a rider from the Open Junior U19 class, set the day's fastest time of 1:34.971 minutes. However, the level of riding in the younger classes was once again just as remarkable, as were the best times set there. Colin Szepesi (HUN - Cube Next Gerneration) won the U15 Boys class with a time of 1:38.277 minutes. In the Boys U13 category it was Venca Bambas (CZE), who also only needed 1:39.926. Noah Mangano (ITA - Team Black Crew) secured victory in the Kids U11 category.

Complete Results

Oberhof shone again and even if the mountain is more of a hill (at least for those who come from real mountains), the race is always worth a trip. The surrounding infrastructure is simply ideal and the family atmosphere is exactly what makes racing away from the results list. Many thanks for a great weekend and see you next year. The series now continues in Saalbach, Austria, at the legendary Glemmride Festival.