Germany on top of the highest #XCEWorldCup round ever

As if racing at 3500 meters altitude wasn’t high enough, Felix Klausmann and Marion Fromberger went up a little higher in round 8 of the UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup: both Germans conquered the top podium step in Leh/Ladakh (India), a place surrounded by the mighty Himalaya mountains.

After a historic round in Palangkaraya, Indonesia, eliminator racing travelled to the Himalayas for another unforgettable chapter in cycling’s history: the first ever UCI World Cup race in India. 3500 meters above sea level, handling the extreme altitude would play a huge role on a rather physical but also spectacular track in the town of Leh. A big amount of home riders attended the race: for sure a significant boost for mountain biking in the Ladakh region and India in general.

After winning the qualifying time-trials, Erick Fierro from Ecuador and Marion Fromberger impressed throughout all heats, reaching the big finals without any issues. In the women’s finals, Fromberger concluded with another convincing win, leading from start to finish. After a poor start, Mariske Strauss (South Africa) still managed to take second place, preceding Marcela Lima from Brazil and Didi de Vries from The Netherlands. Romanian Eszter Bereczki secured her first UCI World Cup podium place thanks to winning the small finals.

The men’s race had a thrilling ending, with Felix Klausmann passing Dan Noyola (Mexico) and Erick Fierro only in the very end of the final race. By doing so, the experienced German champion took his first ever win in the UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup, while Fierro and Castillo had to settle with second and third place. Another German, Stephan Mayer, and Edvin Lindh from Sweden completed the top five.

“This feels really great”, Marion Fromberger enjoyed her back-to-back win in Leh/Ladakh after Palangkaraya. “I’m really happy with this victory. I was a bit nervous before the race, because of the high altitude. But I managed it really well, better than I thought. It’s amazing to win here in Leh, an amazing city surrounded by mountains.”

“I had a bit of problems with the altitude, the first days I was here. I didn’t train too much”, Felix Klausmann revealed after his victory. “Tactics played a big role today. During the race, I decided: ‘Okay, let’s not do too much in the first lap’. And in the uphill, I had some good power. It’s there where I took the win today. I’m really happy with my first UCI World Cup win!”

Men’s results – UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup Leh/Ladakh

1. Felix Klausmann (GER)
2. Erick Fierro (ECU)
3. Daniel Noyola (MEX)
4. Stephan Mayer (GER)
5. Edvin Lindh (SWE)

Women’s results – UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup Leh/Ladakh

1. Marion Fromberger (GER)
2. Mariske Strauss (RSA)
3. Marcela Lima (BRA)
4. Didi de Vries (NED)
5. Eszter Bereczki (ROU)

FULL RESULTS

Men’s standings UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup after Leh/Ladakh

1. Simon Gegenheimer (GER) – 352 points
2. Titouan Perrin-Ganier (FRA) – 321
3. Quentin Schrotzenberger (FRA) – 258
4. Felix Klausmann (GER) – 208
5. Daniel Castillo (MEX) – 143

Women’s standings UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup after Leh/Ladakh

1. Gaia Tormena (ITA) – 495 points
2. Marion Fromberger (GER) – 457
3. Marcela Lima (BRA) – 285
4. Didi de Vries (NLD) – 269
5. Ella Holmegard (SWE) – 162

FULL STANDINGS

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