Steep, dusty and a real endurance test even for the toughest long-distance bikers in the world: the UCI MTB Marathon World Championships 2021 on Elba delivered the spectacular showdown of the world's marathon elite at the end of a long season that was expected. Just 75 of the 114 men who started reached the finish line in Capoliveri after 115 tough kilometres and 4800 metres of climbing. The World Championship titles went to Germany and Austria. Andreas Seewald crowned his strong season after winning gold at the European Championships with the World Championship triumph and became the first German ever to win the title in the marathon discipline, which has been held since 2003. After crossing the finish line after 6:02:03 hours, the 30-year-old could barely stay on his feet, he was so exhausted and broken. "That was the most brutal race of my career. My victory is incredible. That was my dream. I hope that the title will help to further the German marathon sport," said the man from Lenggries at the press conference.
Women: Even a flat tyre can't stop a 19-year-old lightweight
The story of the women's race could not have been written better, even in Hollywood. Because with 19-year-old Austrian Mona Mitterwallner ahead of Poland's Maja Wloszczowska (37), the result is something of a changing of the guard. For Wloszczowska, it was the last race of her career and her third World Championship silver in the marathon in four years. But she had also become world marathon champion at the start of her long, successful career at the age of 19, in Lugano in 2003. "Mona and the race today reminds me of my first World Championships in 2003. She is one of the most talented mountain bikers ever," said the Polish athlete, who has two Olympic silver medals at home. For the reigning U23 World Champion Mitterwallner, who graduated in May 2020, the World Championship title is her first major triumph in the elite class. She won every one of the six races in the XC World Cup in 2021 and dominated the competition. The World Championship race was also her first ever marathon race! She was also slowed down by a flat rear wheel on the first lap, but was able to make it into the tech zone with the leading group thanks to a foam insert in the tyre. Next year, the Tyrolean wants to compete in the elite XC World Cup, she said about the World Championship race: "My longest race so far was 2:11 hours. That's why I couldn't really judge what to expect here. Maja was much stronger in the downhill. That's why I spent quite a long time thinking about where I should attack. I finally shook her off on the longest climb. After that it was mentally very tough because I always thought that she would come up behind me again."
Adelheid Morath was the best German in the strong field of women in eighth place, one place behind Alessandra Keller (SUI) and ahead of the Italian Marika Tovo. Stefanie Dohrn did not make it past 28th place, while Veronika Weiß and Janine Schneider finished 31st and 32nd respectively.
Frischknecht led at the beginning, Schurter with stomach problems
The three Swiss XC specialists from Scott-Sram set the pace at the start of the race, but none of them reached the finish. Andri Frischknecht led the race alone from kilometre 20-40. However, he then had to pay for it, was passed and dropped out after two thirds. Lars Forster rode alongside Nino Schurter in the leading group until kilometre 40, before suffering a chain break and dropping out. XC world champion Schurter stayed in the leading group around Seewald and the Colombian Diego Arias for a long time, but in the last of the three 35-kilometre laps he also had to retire. Stomach problems forced him to retire. However, Schurter will return to the long distance, as he announced yesterday at the press conference.
Simon Schneller from Team Bulls rode a very consistent race and finished in 14th place, one place ahead of team-mate Alban Lakata. Other German riders in the top 50: Marek Sülzle 38th, Niklas Sell 42nd and Paul Häuser 47th. Markus Kaufmann, Martin Frey, Simon Stiebjahn and Sascha Weber, Vinzent Dorn, Pirmin Eisenbarth dropped out early.
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