With seven weeks left before the Hit Mountain Bike Downhill European Championships 2009 in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, we are adding the Open categories to attract the riders from other continents.

The championships are taking place from June 12 to 14. That is a week after the fourth downhill and 4-cross rounds of 2009 Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Fort William in Scotland and a week before the fifth round in Maribor that is less than three hour drive away. Riders from National Federations, which are not members of European Cycling Union (UEC), can now make a stop in Kranjska Gora and take part in European Championships. For fun, practice and glory.

With blessings from the gentlemen at UEC, we are adding four categories: open junior women, open junior men, open elite women and open elite men. We are offering a chance to riders from Africa, Americas, Asia or Oceania to win the bragging rights of a “European Open Champion”. They would have to leave the European Champion title, jersey and medal to the top European rider. But the fastest man or woman remains just that.

With European Championships for junior and elite, the European Open plus the European Masters Championships the weekend in friendly alpine village of Kranjska Gora, Slovenia will be a festival of gravity racing. Add daily live bands and festivities, an ideal venue with village center, major hotels, finish area and expo, tech and team areas within a couple of hundred meters.

A larger number of participants will be able to access the Kranjska Gora bike park DH track on Vitranc mountain by two chairlifts. The junior and elite course starts 150 vertical meters higher than the masters course.

While European junior and elite riders are only able to register for the Championships through their National Federations, Masters and Open riders can register here.