The legendary Bruce Lee downhill course above Chepelare once again became the arena of one of the most spectacular battles in Bulgarian mountain biking. The first round of the Maxxis BG Downhill Series 2026 took place over the weekend and brought together over 150 cyclists from Bulgaria, Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia.
In the most prestigious category "Men's Elite", the victory was won by Stamen Markov (Riders United) with an absolute time of 4:35.48, he demonstrated stable riding and coped excellently with the most technical sections of the 3400 meter course. Only 0.71 seconds behind him finished one of the strongest guests - the national champion of Greece Alexandros Topkaroglou.
The third place on the men's podium was taken by Stivian Gatev (Hotalich) with a time of 4:40.27, and only 5 hundredths of a second behind him was Valentin Tenev from the capital's MSM club.
In the women's category, Denitsa Tosheva (Riders United) showed that she is in excellent form, finishing with a time of 5:40.21, which secured her first place. Dorothea Borisova (Middleforest) and Gergana Gospodinova (Black Sea Tsunami) climbed the podium next to her, who also coped with the challenges of the Rhodope terrain with dignity.
Young talents also made a strong bid for the future. In the junior category (17-18 years old) Asparuh Sokolov (MSM) was flawless and won gold with a time of 4:42.27, ahead of the Greek representatives Emanuel Lukeris and Georgios Houtos.
In the younger junior category (ages 15–16), Denis Ivanov (Riders United) claimed victory with a time of 4:55.33, followed by Hristos Theopistos and Svetozar Petrov. In the Masters category, Borislav Spasov proved that experience is key, finishing first with a time of 5:14.29.
The top finishers were awarded prizes at an official ceremony by the Mayor of Chepelare, Mr. Boran Hadzhiev, while the winners received cash prizes and gifts from Red Bull, Kärcher Bulgaria, Bike Center, Pamporovo AD, and Hotel Perelik.
With the successful conclusion of the first round, the focus of the Maxxis BG Downhill Series shifts to the next stop on the calendar: Pamporovo, from July 16 to 19.
Meanwhile, the summer season is in full swing in the resort, and Pamporovo Bike Park, the lifts to Snezhanka Peak, and Yazovira Adventure Park are operating daily, attracting tourists this year with a new climbing wall and the unique 360-meter alpine trolley over the water, which is an absolute hit among visitors.
