Cycling: Only a few days after the European title fights in Ireland, the marathon elite in Pietermaritzburg were looking for the new wearers of the rainbow jersey.
At the Marathon World Championships, a total of 95 kilometers had to be completed. The Czech Olympic champion Jaroslav Kulhavy, who jubilantly carried his bike across the finish line, did best in the men's category. The Specialized rider distanced a surprisingly strong Alban Lakata (Topeak-Ergon) who had to put his pre-season on hold over the winter due to an Achilles tendon injury. The reigning European Champion Christoph Sauser (Specialized Racing) secured third place. The Swiss suffered a defect on the way, but fought his way back into the race. The best German was Robert Mennen (Topeak-Ergon) in eighth place.
In the women's category, Sabine Spitz (Haibike) celebrated her fifth marathon silver. After a distance of 74 kilometers, she was only beaten by Denmark's Annika Langvad (Specialized Racing). Tereza Hurikova (Specialized Racing) crossed the finish line in third place.