POHÁR PLZEŇSKÉHO KRAJE slaví 25 let!

Today, our little brother PPK is launching REGISTRATION.

For a quarter of a century, the series has been here with us, having practically nurtured the entire MTB organizing scene in Western Bohemia.

The Pilsen Region Mountain Bike Cup – AC Heating Cup has opened REGISTRATION today for its 25th edition!

Jump to: www.ppk-hk.cz

A big thank you goes to one man, Marcel Beran, to whom we are very grateful. Marcel also couldn't miss the press conference and the Absolute Party last season, where we interviewed him ahead of time about what it's like to celebrate "a quarter of a century of racing". 🙂

In one of the interviews for Plzeňský Deník on November 29, 2017:
"In the spring of 2001, when I was putting PAL together, I had no idea how long the series would last. I was guided by the idea of connecting the organizers of individual races in the region, which was successful," recalled Marcel Beran.

After the first season, when races were held in Chrást, Klabava and Horní Bříza, Pavel Štícha took over temporarily. The Chodovar Cup, as the series was then called, was organized from 2002 to 2005. A record number of participants was set for the race, when 303 bikers arrived in Chrást, and the series spread to other places in the Pilsen region.

In 2006, however, Pavel Štícha stopped organizing the cup, but thanks to bikers from Kralovice, the series continued under the name Becker Cup until 2016. This year, the series took place thanks to the support of a sponsor from Domažlice.

During the seventeen editions of PAL, 137 races have been organized in Chrást, Klabava, Horní Bříza, Chotěšov, Chodov, Pec pod Čerchovem, Domažlice, Přeštice, Rakovník, Chotíkov, Stříbro, Stupno, Dýšina, Město Touškov, Železná Ruda, Švihov, Litohlavy, Chodová Planá, Homolka in Plzeň, Košutka, Malesice, Březina, Klatovy, Kralovice, Kaznějov, Sušice, Úterý, and Nečtiny.

"The crisis came after 2005, when a wave of marathons began, and only 80, at most 100 bikers attended cross-country races. However, gradually, thanks to a greater focus on youth, we managed to attract children to racing, and subsequently, their parents as well. This year, we can boast an average of over 200 participants per race," said Marcel Beran. For two organizing years, Pavel Štícha, who in the past repeatedly organized World Cup cyclocross events in Plzeň with Niels Albert and Zdeněk Štybar at the start line, served as the president of the series.

Marcel Beran then officially announced that after seventeen years, he is stepping down from the position of president of PAL and has handed over the metaphorical scepter to the newly elected head, Jaroslav Ryb from Author Team Stupno.

Jaroslav Ryba also played an important role in his position as president of the series, and in the autumn of 2022, he handed over the scepter to his inseparable partner, Lampík (Ondřej Paur).

So that's just a little piece of history, friends, so we don't forget those names. And now, let's go ahead and get started with REGISTRATION!

See you at the start!