BIKE Junior Team: German Championships and young riders' trials in Obergessertshausen

MTB-DM U19 - Race report by Paulina Lange

After my injury 4 weeks earlier, I was just happy to be at the start. I had a good start from the front row and was able to get into second place after the start loop. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to maintain this position and was reeled back to 5th place. But when I found my rhythm and legs again, I was able to move up into fourth position. The downhill sections suited me very well, which allowed me to catch up further towards the podium. In the end, it wasn't quite enough for the medal, but after the injury and the resulting forced break, it was definitely a solid race. However, the disappointment was huge with the ungrateful wooden medal. But now it's time to prepare for the rest of the season and do our best.

MTB-DM U19 - Max Ebrecht

The course for this year's German Championships was in Obergessertshausen with a similar course to the annual Fullgaz races. Of course, the classic segments such as the Eggerberg climb, the Wald-S and the Rockgarden were included. The pump track was new. I really enjoyed the track and savoured every minute of it. As a result, I had a great feeling for the course and was really looking forward to the race.

To the race

After a week's rest during a school trip, I felt surprisingly fit on the bike, so I went into the race with confidence. We had to ride a start loop and five full laps. I was already at the front at the start. Even after two crashes in the first two laps, I was able to ride actively in the leading group. On the third lap I launched an attack myself, but it was blocked. On the Eggerberg, however, it came to a showdown in which I ended up in third place with a gap to the front and rear. Unfortunately, I lacked the pressure over the crest and so I was caught and overtaken by the third-placed rider. On the fourth lap, a technical problem cost me valuable time (my thru-axle had come loose), so I lost the connection to the front, but was still able to increase the gap to the rear. I was more than happy when I crossed the finish line, as my plan for the weekend had worked out perfectly and the hard training over the last few weeks had paid off. With a massive boost, I'm now looking forward to the next races in Switzerland during the upcoming holidays.

MTB-DM U19 - Dennis Krimmel

The race in Obergessertshausen was the highlight of the season for me. Nevertheless, I went into the race with very low expectations. My goal was to simply finish the race right from the start, without aiming for an exact position. But even that was difficult enough for me, as I have been struggling with extreme health restrictions for a long time.

The start was very hectic, but I still tried to stay in the top 15. I managed that for two laps. Then I had to start slowing down, as it didn't match my level of performance. As the race progressed, I tried to gain time on the descents, as I'm still one of the fastest there. On the third lap, I started to feel some back pain, which made my torso very stiff. This led to a small slip on the downhill, but it didn't cost me much time. Despite everything, I wasn't always able to keep my place and ended up in 26th place.

In future, as before, I will continue to work on my health and try to get back on the podium very quickly.

Nico Brandl U15 from the Bundesnachwuchssichtung (BNS)

Last weekend, the next round of the national junior classification took place in Obergessertshausen. Unfortunately, it was already raining on Friday, so the track was very slippery. I actually like the technically demanding course, but this time I couldn't cope at all. I often had to get off my bike and run over the roots on the climbs, which cost me a lot of energy - too much. I lost place after place. The only consolation was that I managed to ride cleanly through the A-line on the descents every time. In the end, I finished 29th, which was my worst result ever. Now I have to look ahead and prepare for the European Youth Championships, where I hope I can show what I'm capable of again!

Benny Huber U15 from the BNS

After a long break, the 3rd round of the national junior classification was back on the agenda last weekend. This time it was the second attempt to Obergesserthausen. The course is very varied and offers crisp climbs, a pump track, rock gardens and lots of bends and roots. It was an exciting weekend for me after a long time without racing, and I came away from it with different feelings. After a very good start, I was able to take the lead and set the pace. I felt good and my legs were strong.

Unfortunately, I made a mistake at a key point, which resulted in a longer running phase. This cost me a lot of time and energy. I lost my leading position here and a gap opened up, which I was able to reduce until the end, but unfortunately I couldn't close it completely. In the end, I finished in 2nd place. The next race is the European Youth Championships in Sweden, and I'm now looking forward to that.

Elias Hückmann U17 from the BNS

I was really looking forward to my penultimate national junior race in Obergessertshausen. I really liked the course, which I already knew well from previous years. Technical passages, steep and painful climbs characterised the circuit. My race started at 10.30am. Thanks to my excellent starting position, my legs were able to catapult me and my Bulls bike straight to the front of the field. This allowed me to burn off my rhythm on the course at a fast pace. After the first climbs and descents, I was able to open up a gap to my pursuers. Now I gave everything I had to maintain the gap. Lap after lap, I built up this initially small gap to a considerable lead. After a start loop and four laps, I crossed the finish line in first place. I really enjoyed the weekend in Obergessertshausen. Now all my focus is on preparing for the European Youth Championships in Sweden.