Things went well for the BIKE Junior Team in Switzerland: Paulina Lange achieved a great fifth place in Langendorf at the Argovia Cup, while Max Ebrecht took his first victory for the BIKE Junior Team in Hägglingen. And he did so in difficult conditions on a muddy track, as he explains in his race report. Paulina, on the other hand, also had to contend with technical problems. The race reports of our athletes.
Race reports Max Ebrecht
After I was able to build up my form for the German Championships, my coach and I decided to keep it for a larger racing block during the Bavarian summer holidays. For a change, we started with a road race, the Bruckmühler Cycling Night, where I was able to strengthen my race hardness in a 42 km criterium - and had a lot of fun beating one or two strong road riders. In the end, I finished in a cool eighth place.
Then it was off to the races in Switzerland. The first two C3 races of the Argovia Cup were held three weekends in a row, followed by the well-known Junior Series race in Basel. As is often the case with Swiss races, all of the races had a strong international line-up.
Langendorf (Argovia Cup C3)
The course in Langendorf is a very fast route with two ascents, quite steep in parts but easy to ride. The descents were on gravel paths and small root fields. The route suited me well, the profile was a good match for my home training routes in Munich.
The starting field was strong due to the World Championship preparations of many riders. Nevertheless, I went into the race with confidence; my goal was to finish in the top 5 again. I was able to position myself quickly at the front after the start. On the third lap I went on the attack and was able to move up to third place, which I was able to hold for the next lap. But then a fast group of two was brought back by a masters rider (masters, elite and juniors were on the course at the same time). I was able to join this group and eventually finished in fifth place. Super happy and satisfied with my result, I took part in my first award ceremony of the season in Switzerland.
Hägglingen (Argovia Cup C3)
The route in Hägglingen had a different profile to that in Langendorf and was divided into two sections. One over meadows and mown fields, almost a cyclocross course, the other part in the forest with a long ascent and flowing trail descents. The weather on race day also presented cyclocross conditions, with continuous rain completely soaking the meadows and fields and turning the trails into soap. Tough conditions for man and material, but somehow also my profession as a cyclocrosser in winter.
I already realised during the warm-up that I had good legs. That's why I immediately went on the offensive and quickly positioned myself at the front of the race. I also didn't want to be affected by crashes or other people's problems in these difficult conditions. I kept launching small attacks to test my rivals, but like everyone else I also had to contend with the mud and grass mixture on the bike. My chain fell off several times, even though we had prepared the bike well for the conditions. Towards the end, the race became a duel for the lead and against the odds.
When I crossed the finish line in what felt like second place, I was very surprised when a steward wiped my race number clean and congratulated me on my victory. I must not have recognised my competitors in the mud as he was struggling with his chain. The surprise and joy was correspondingly huge, my first victory for the BJT! The points I scored pushed me into the top 200 in the UCI ranking.
Basel (Swisscup HC, Junior Series)
Basel is almost something of a traditional circuit. It is the F1 track in the Swiss Cup series and an integral part of the Junior Series. Most of the track runs along the Basel racecourse and its infield. Outside, it features a steep climb and a bike park descent with banked turns and jumps. During training, I quickly realised that the course suited me very well.
After Hägglingen, I was able to keep my legs at a good level, and a few training sessions in the Odenwald did the rest. So I went into the race with confidence again, which got off to a super fast start with a one-lap start loop on the racecourse. In criterium style, I made my way to the front and took to the track in a leading group of 10 riders. When I tried to test my rivals on the uphill on the third lap by stepping up the pace, no one went with me and I was able to pull out a gap of around 10 seconds, which I was able to hold for one lap. However, I wasn't able to pull away far enough against the teamwork of the chasers on the flat and I suffered the typical breakaway fate in sprint races - I was caught again. However, I was able to stay in the group and eventually finish in ninth place and with my first top 10 finish in the Junior Series. I also won the Uphill Challenge!
Overall, I'm super happy with the past few weeks. The hard training work has paid off and I have now been able to work my way into the top 200 in the UCI rankings. Thanks to the support from my team and coach over the last few weeks. Now I'm looking forward to a bike-free week's holiday by the sea. Let's see what happens at the next races. There are still a few delicacies to come.
Race reports Paulina Lange
Argovia Cup Langendorf
I already liked the route in Langendorf during the route check. Most of the route was in the forest on trails, which was definitely pleasant for us in the heat. I started from the second row. The start was very hectic with a lot of crowds, but I was able to get into 7th position as we entered the first trail. The field then spread out immediately. I found myself in 5th position after the first finish. I was able to close the gap to the next group of two by a few seconds during the second lap. I was able to stay in this group for the next two laps. However, there was a lot of attacking, which meant I had to let the Italian and the Swiss rider go in the final attack. In the end, it was only a few seconds that made the difference between us. I was very happy with 5th place and as the best of the young age group and above all happy with how my legs felt.
Junior World Series Basel
I was expecting a rather flat race in Basel. Nevertheless, there was a tough climb and some nice downhills. I got off to a very good start and was able to get into the front of the field after the lap of the racecourse. I tried to leave the crowd behind me as much as possible when it came to the climb. When it came to the second lap, I caught a good group and we were able to catch up together. We also harmonised well together on the following lap and overtook riders.
At the end of the third lap, however, I had problems with the seat post. I could no longer sit on the seat post without it sagging. So for the last lap I either had to ride standing up or ride with the low seatpost. Unfortunately, I couldn't hold on to my group from before on the last climb and finished last in our group for 6th place, so to speak. In the end, despite everything, I still managed 10th place and some important UCI points. It was very bitter to be stopped for a better result because of a defect, but I'm taking the positives with me because my legs felt really good again.
