With gradients of up to 32 per cent, this course in Gelnhausen was not for beginners! At the Red Bull Hill Chasers Event 2023, cyclists competed in various categories in the Hessian town: In the gravel & road bike category and, for the first time, in the mountain bike category. Former top sprinters such as André Greipel and Marcel Kittel were at the start. The race took place in groups of 5 on varying surfaces such as cobblestones and tarmac.
Red Bull Hill Chasers 2023: This is what it's all about
The Red Bull Hill Chasers is about travelling a short route as quickly as possible. The difficulty here is the sometimes enormous gradient that the riders have to overcome. Anyone who dares can take part: Cyclists of all classes, whether beginners, ambitious riders or professional cyclists, can show what they can do here.
Tactics are not really important here, at 32% you just have to kick it in. - Luis Neff, men's mountain bike winner
Firstly, two preliminary rounds were held in the gravel & road bike and mountain bike categories, each in the men's and women's competitions. This then resulted in the participants for the final round of the Hill Chaser. "The atmosphere, especially at the top where it's the steepest, was brilliant. I'm sure some of the riders outdid themselves today," said ex-professional cyclist André Greipel, who made it to the final himself, after the race.
Beaming winners after the race
In the category Gravel & Roadbike Pia Kummer, who had already won in 2022, was successful in the women's race. Florenz Knauer secured 1st place in the men's race. "It was really exhausting, but it was great fun. I really wanted to win today and I'm really happy that it worked out," said Florenz after the race.
New at the Hill Chasers event is the separate Mountain bike-Marion Fromberger won the women's classification, while Luis Neff was the winner of the men's race. "Tactics aren't really important here, at 32% you just have to pedal," said Neff, who competed for the Rose Racing Circle team, after the demanding race. "Without the crowd, I would ride up there half a minute slower, it's extremely pushing. At the bottom, you have to restrain yourself a bit despite the crowd, but then you can give it your all and still enjoy the atmosphere."
Red Bull Hill Chasers: Marcel Kittel found it too steep
The 14-time Tour de France stage winner Marcel Kittel also took part in the event. He commented on the event afterwards with the words: "I thought it was awesome, but this road is really brutally steep. I was exhausted at the top," laughs Kittel. "When I heard it was a 32% gradient, I briefly considered whether I should really take part. But then they said big cycling party, so I was convinced. It was great fun". However, Marcel Kittel did not reach the final of the top five.
André Greipel, the sprint "gorilla" who has won eleven stages at the Tour de France in his career, ultimately finished fourth in the final of the top five riders.
The Mayor of Gelnhausen, Daniel Glöckner, summarised the event afterwards: "The event was a very good success for the town of Gelnhausen, because it is something completely different and also attracts a different clientele, some of whom are getting to know Gelnhausen for the first time. We are certainly not the cycling capital of Germany, but we offer what is probably the steepest road in Germany on which such an event can take place."
Maik Schröder
Editor
