The 2026 4X ProTour began in Dobrany, Czech Republic on Saturday night. This incredible track is the home of pro rider Tomas Brozik and it’s fair to say the track represents the current style of 4X tracks. Massive jumps, high speed and a real shot in the arm for the sport. Whilst hardtails are pretty rare now, trail bikes are pushing the speed and style of the tracks.
The weekend started on Friday with the first practice session. A longer than normal session of 2 hours gave the riders plenty of time to master one of the best 4X tracks in the World. The track was in perfect condition. The sun was shining and there was zero wind. The riders were sectioning the track and mastering the perfect track. The talking point was the step down out of turn 1 and the 30 foot double after that. A great section that brought out plenty of style.
Saturday – Qualifying:
Saturday rolled around and with it came the predicted wind. 50mph gusts of wind and constant 30mph all day. The wind direction was also changing, swirling in different directions and it made riding the track extremely tough. By the end of practice, no one had jumped the 30 foot doubles out of turn one and no one had jumped the triple in the mid section. These two jumps linked the track so it was frustrating for the riders.
Qualifying started with the women. 4X ProTour star Katherine Oldfield pulled the pin in her final laps of practice and jumped the huge doubles lower down on the track. She did it again in her qualifying and it was enough to take the fastest time ahead of Natalia Bartosiewicz and Weronika Pinda.
1st – Katherine Oldfield – 1.00.96
2nd – Natalia Bartosiewicz – 1.02.53
3rd – Weronika Pinda – 1.08.83
Next up were the men. There were plenty of locals who were looking fast and one by one they pushed the limits to try and qualify. Everything changed though when Jakub Pivnicka pulled the pin and hit the double out of turn one. Carrying loads of speed down the track he moved into the hot seat across the line. Riders then followed his lead and started hitting the jumps. Jachym Vanek laid down a perfect lap to take the fastest time with Tomas Brozik in second and Pivnicka held onto 3rd.
1st – Jachym Vanek: 43.49
2nd – Tomas Brozik: 44.05
3rd – Jakub Pivnicka: 44.45
Saturday – Race:
After qualifying there was 30 minutes for riders to prepare their bikes and get ready for the racing.
The early heats of racing were action packed as riders were fighting to qualify for the quarter finals.
In the quarter finals the cream began to rise to the top. The top qualifiers were flying and everything was looking good for some amazing semi finals. Joe Wallbridge unfortunately crashed out whilst leading and Reece Hoggatt just missed out on qualification to the semi finals.
In semi final 1 it was Jachym Vanek, Gustav Dadela, Antek Break and Marvin Schaupp. The gate dropped and it was tight into turn 1. Vanek then dived inside and slotted into the lead with Dadela close behind. It was those two who held on to the finish line and booked their place in the final.
In semi final 2 Tomas Brozik, Jakub Pivnicka, Scott Beaumont and Jan Baloun Lined up. The gate dropped and Brozik took the holeshot from Beaumont. In a great move, Pivnicka dived inside and slotted in between Brozik and Beaumont. Beaumont re grouped and started his charge back. Into the famous 180 turn that has seen so many passes over the years, Beaumont dived inside. Pivnicka didn’t back off and the handlebars tagged each other taking both riders down. A pure racing incident where a rider left the door open and the other rider dived in. But in this in meant that Jan Baloun was able to move in to 2nd and transfer to his first ever final.
Finals:
In the men’s small final, Marvin Schaupp took gate 1, Scott Beaumont in 2, Jakub Pivnicka in 3 and Antek Break in 4. The gate dropped and Beaumont was in no mood for messing around this time. He tooth holeshot and checked out leaving the others to battle for 2nd. Beaumont took a comfortable win and with it 5th place overall for the day and the final step of the podium. Pivnicka rode a good lap after Schaupp crashed mid way down the track. Break in 3rd and Schaupp finished 4th – banged up but no serious injuries.
Elite women were next up. Katherine Oldfield dominated the day and in the final it was no different. She made a great start and took the win from start to finish. Natalia Bartosiewicz rode fantastic all day and took a deserved 2nd with Weronika Pinda in 3rd. In tough, windy conditions, the women had a great final but the positions held all the way down.
The last race was the mens final.
Jachym Vanek took gate 1, Tomas Brozik took 2, Gustaw Dadela then went 3 and Tomas BrozikJan Baloun on 4. The gate dropped and it was super close down the first straight between the Vanek and Brozik. Brozik went for the outside drive and it almost worked until Dadela came siding in – speedway style to stop the run. Vanek got away. Brozik regrouped and was able to hold 2nd. Setting off after Vanek, Brozik closed the gap to just a couple of bike lengths, until a mistake on the penultimate straight lost his momentum. Vanek took the win from Brozik with Dadela holding on for 3rd ahead of Baloun.
Results:
Women:
1st – Katherine Oldfield
2nd – Natalia Bartosiewicz
3rd – Weronika Pinda
Men:
1st – Jachym Vanek
2nd – Tomas Brozik
3rd – Gustaw Dadela
4th – Jan Baloun
5th – Scott Beaumont
We would just like to say a huge thank you to Tomas Brozik and his team at Dobrany Bikepark. This guy simply went above and beyond to produce a great day of 4X. The entertainment, atmosphere, track, riding, and fans were incredible. They delivered an amazing event.
Thank you to the 4X riders and teams; you guys are showing the world what is possible on our mountain bikes.
The 2026 4X ProTour continues at JBC Bikepark in Czech Republic for round 2 on July 11th.
We can’t wait. See you trackside.
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