X-GRIP Racing Team Doubles Up Again in Kočevje – Slovenia

The X-GRIP Racing Team continued its strong pre-season form at round two of the Slovenian Cross Country Championship, with Tom Hecher and Valentino Hutter delivering another dominant display and locking out the top two positions across the weekend.

Held in Kočevje, the event featured two demanding 90-minute races on a traditional cross-country course through the forest. Fast sections, slippery roots, and rocky ground made it a proper test of both speed and precision, giving the riders another valuable benchmark ahead of the Austrian Enduro Championship opener.

Hecher takes the first race

In the opening race, it was Valentino Hutter who exploded off the line, taking the lead within the first two corners. Tom Hecher, meanwhile, had to recover from a less fortunate start, but the Austrian quickly worked his way through the pack and was already up to second by the end of the first lap.

As Hutter managed the pace carefully, Hecher began closing the gap and eventually moved into the lead. Valentino stayed close behind, studying his teammate’s lines and waiting for an opportunity to respond. The two X-GRIP riders remained locked together at the front until the closing stages, when Hutter made one final push for victory. A small crash ended that charge, allowing Hecher to take the win and secure the team’s first one-two finish of the day.

Hutter responds in race two

The second race gave the spectators even more action.

Hutter once again grabbed the holeshot, with Hecher right behind him. A few small mistakes from both riders briefly allowed a third competitor to join the battle, turning the early part of the race into a three-way fight for the lead.

But once the pressure increased, the two X-GRIP riders pulled clear. By then, Hutter had settled into second and started to raise the pace. Pushing harder, he forced his teammate into a mistake and took over the lead. Damage to Hecher’s bike in that moment made it difficult for him to fight back, and Hutter controlled the final part of the race to take victory.

The result was another one-two finish for the X-GRIP Racing Team, this time with Hutter on top ahead of Hecher.

Momentum building before Austria

With two consecutive double victories in pre-season races, the X-GRIP Racing Team heads into the opening round of the Austrian Enduro Championship full of confidence. Kočevje once again showed that both Hecher and Hutter have the pace, form, and chemistry to be serious contenders once the main season begins.