Let's be honest: downhill racing is the best sport in the world. We all love the excitement of the DH World Cup. But racing at the top requires a strong foundation - and this are local races like the iXS Downhill Cup. Here the stars of tomorrow are born and here every biker can compete with his buddies and other like-minded racer. In the latest episode of iXS Trail Stories, we therefore take a look behind the scenes of the legendary iXS Downhill Cup race in Ilmenau.

Seien wir ehrlich: Downhill ist der beste Sport der Welt. Wir alle lieben die Aufregung des DH World Cups. Aber um ganz oben mitzufahren, braucht man ein starkes Fundament - und das sind lokale Rennen wie der iXS Downhill Cup. Hier werden die Stars von morgen geboren und hier kann sich jeder mit seinen Kumpels und anderen gleichgesinnten Racern messen. In der neuesten Folge der iXS Trail Stories werfen wir deshalb einen Blick hinter die Kulissen des legendären iXS Downhill Cup Rennens in Ilmenau.

Constant rain, 8° C, and ankle-deep mud - what sounds like fall is actually a morning in mid-June. You don't really want to go out in this weather. But it doesn't help, it's Thursday and the Racement crew is just parking two sprinters backwards on the finishing slope of the legendary downhill course in Ilmenau to start setting up for the iXS Downhill Cup race at the weekend. In the days and weeks beforehand, members of the local bike club have already put their heart and soul into building the track and taking care of all the infrastructure.

Dauerregen, 8° C und knöcheltiefer Schlamm - was sich nach Herbst anhört, ist in Wirklichkeit ein Morgen Mitte Juni. Bei diesem Wetter will man eigentlich gar nicht vor die Tür. Aber es hilft nichts, es ist Donnerstag und die Racement-Crew parkt gerade zwei Sprinter rückwärts am Zielhang der legendären Downhill-Strecke in Ilmenau, um mit den Vorbereitungen für das iXS Downhill Cup Rennen am Wochenende zu beginnen. Bereits in den Tagen und Wochen zuvor haben Mitglieder des örtlichen Vereins mit viel Herzblut die Strecke gebaut und sich um die gesamte Infrastruktur gekümmert.

Racement is the company that takes care of the organisation and implementation of the iXS Cups in the background. The race in Ilmenau is a real home game for them, as they have their company headquarters on site. During the race season, however, the team is hardly ever at home, instead travelling all over Europe for the various race series of the iXS Downhill Cup. Always with the mission of offering all racers a professional infrastructure for their competition - regardless of whether they are weekend warriors or aspiring World Cup athletes.

Racement ist die Firma, die sich im Hintergrund um die Organisation und Durchführung der iXS Cups kümmert. Das Rennen in Ilmenau ist für sie ein echtes Heimspiel, denn sie haben ihren Firmensitz vor Ort. Während der Rennsaison ist das Team jedoch kaum zu Hause, sondern reist zu den verschiedenen Rennserien des iXS Downhill Cups quer durch Europa. Immer mit dem Anspruch, allen Rennfahrern eine professionelle Infrastruktur für ihren Wettbewerb zu bieten - egal ob Wochenendfahrer oder angehender Weltcup-Athlet.

The infrastructure and fixed routines not only guarantee a fun race weekend for all participants, this consistency is also important for aspiring professionals to gain experience. What is important on track walks? How do I focus on my qualifying run? What details do I pay attention to during the last training session before the race? All these and countless other aspects also play a major role in the iXS Downhill Cup races. However, the fun and family atmosphere at the races is at least as important - after all, not everyone wants to become a Pro Racer. "On the track you're competitors, but in the paddock you're friends and help each other, and that's what makes the races so special," says Moni Gasbichler. You race against the clock, not against other athletes.

Die beiden derzeit schnellsten Frauen im Weltcup haben beide ihre Wurzeln im iXS Cup: Vali Höll und Nina Hoffmann. Wir haben Nina am Rande der Strecke in Ilmenau getroffen. Sie selbst sagt: "Wenn wir diese Rennen nicht hätten, gäbe es keine Profi-Rennfahrer. Man braucht auf jeden Fall die Basis, um den Gipfel zu erreichen."

The two fastest women in World Cup racing at the moment both have their roots in the iXS Cup: Vali Höll and Nina Hoffmann. We met Nina at the side of the track in Ilmenau. She herself says: "If we wouldn't have these races, there would be no pro racers. You definitely need the base to build the peak."

We at iXS are proud to have been developing this base for the sport in Europe for more than 20 years. For us, the iXS Downhill Cup races are more than just a stepping stone to the World Cup. They are the place where you carry your bike over the mud out of love after washing it, only to destroy the rear wheel on a root the next day. Where the smell of barbecue mingles with the scent of tyre sealant. Where you duel with friends on the track and then celebrate each other's victory despite losing. They are the place where downhill racing has its home base - the place we love!