Cycling: On August 23rd and 24th, 2014, the mountain bike event Enduro One celebrated its impressive premiere at the Bullhead House and around the Ochsenkopf. The 220 registered participants experienced an all-round successful race weekend under sometimes challenging conditions. Six graded stages including a prologue provided enthusiasm for the fast winners and the fun-oriented amateur athletes alike.
Due to the weather, many of the mountain bikers who had traveled from all over Germany could have expected more at this time of year. In the end, the wet and cold conditions didn't dampen the good spirits at least. "Wet and dirty, that's how we want it to be," commented one starter before the race.
Bullhead House at the Ochsenkopf as the ideal event location
The Bullhead House on the southern slope of the Ochsenkopf presented itself as the ideal location for the popular mountain bike event. The start of the race weekend was the prologue on Saturday. After free practice, the participants completed stage 4 as the first special stage. Leo Putzenlechner coped best with the wet and sometimes difficult ground conditions and with his victory secured the best conditions for the main race on Sunday.
The route, which was only presented on Saturday evening, led the mountain bikers on a circuit of around 30 kilometers from the valley station in Fleckl through the trails on the Ochsenkopf. While the transfer stages could be tackled without time pressure, things got down to business on the six rated stages. In the downhill passages - four of them on parts of the bike park - large boulders, exposed roots and fast-paced meadow and forest passages had to be mastered.
A highlight for bikers and spectators alike was certainly Stage 4, which was already familiar from the prologue and ended right at the spectacular artificial obstacles at Bullhead House, where a hot spot quickly developed. The crowning glory was the return to the downhill route and a fast pump trail to the finish at the lift station.
Unbeatable winner Leo Putzenlechner
From the very first stage, prologue winner Leo Putzenlechner set the bar at a level that was unattainable for the rest of the field and clearly won the overall ranking in the Pro class. With a lead of more than a minute, he won in 14:51 min ahead of Sascha Schraml (15:54 min) and Bastian Richter (16:01 min). In the women's ranking, a homegrown talent from the organizing club, WSV Oberwarmensteinach, couldn't be beat. MTB marathon specialist Regina Genser (19:23 min) relegated Tanja Förtsch (20:12 min) and Alexandra Lucas (20:52 min) to second and third place. A local hero, 1-year-old Timo Holzschuher (16:16 min), also won the main class E08 Sport. In the end, the Masters class was dominated by Roberto Diesel (16:49 min). An absolute novelty in the Enduro mountain bike sector is the Enduro One e-bike class, which was won by Rico Haase (18:03 min).
Marco Schmidt attracted particular attention, as his set of wheels consisted of just one wheel rather than two. For many it is hard to imagine that he mastered the obstacle-ridden stages at all and then in a remarkable time of 42:58 min.
Just in time for the final award ceremony, the first rays of sunshine illuminated the Ochsenkopf. The handcrafted trophies made from high-quality carbon components will surely remind the winners and runners-up of the first Enduro One event for a long time to come. In the end, all the participants left with satisfied faces. Driving fun for everyone and uncomplicated competition are the top priorities at Enduro One.
“We would like to thank all participants for two action-packed and fair racing days. Special thanks go to the organizers on site. The cycling department of the WSV Oberwarmensteinach, together with all the helpers and the team at the Bullhead House, contributed to an all-round successful weekend.”, says series manager Claudio Seitz from promoter BABOONS.
The next station for Enduro One will follow in two weeks. On September 6th and 7th, mountain bikers in Wipperfürth can look forward to an exciting race weekend. All information about Enduro One as well as the results and PHOTOSabout the event at Ochsenkopf are on the website www.enduro-one.com a DAK Bungalow.
Photocredit: babies