Cycling: The Ischgl Overmountain Challenge 2014 has been beaten and brought the expected victory of the reigning enduro world champion Jérôme Clementz from France from the Cannondale Factory Racing Team. With a time of 31:14.53 minutes he managed to defend his title.
Anneke Beerten from the Netherlands from the Specialized Factory Racing team also prevailed in the women's category despite technical problems. With a time of 36:39.63 minutes, she relegated the defending champion Ines Thoma from Germany to second place. In the men's Masters class, Slovenia's Robert Kordez was able to claim victory with a time of 33:22.35 minutes.
With 126 participants from around 15 nations, the unofficial European Enduro Championships were a complete success and the perfect advertisement for the venue, the Silvretta Bike Arena.
Fantastic conditions at the Ischgl Overmountain Challenge 2014 (IOC). The world elite of enduro sports met for the second edition of this unofficial European championship in the Silvretta Bike Arena in the Tyrolean Paznauntal.
After almost wintry weather conditions during training on Saturday, the participants were rewarded with a wonderful late summer day on race Sunday. The demanding enduro race went over a total of six stages in high alpine terrain. The top-class starting field ensured a corresponding level of performance. In the end, the defending champion and reigning enduro world champion Jérôme Clementz from France, who started for the Cannondale Factory Racing Team, came out on top with a time of 31:14.53 minutes.
“It was a wonderful race in optimal conditions. I was able to improve from stage to stage and especially gain time on the last, most difficult stage.", the Frenchman summed up with satisfaction. Not unexpectedly, enduro pro Jamie Nicoll from New Zealand finished second with a time of 31:45.86 minutes, who rides for the Polygon UR team.
For him, the long journey to Ischgl was definitely worth it: “A wonderful day and a great race. I was afraid that the XC guys would drive away from me on the stages with uphill passages. But I was in good shape and was able to keep up with the tough climb on stage six.” Third place went to Slovenian Vid Persak from Orbea Geax MTB Team with a time of 31:50.35 minutes: "It's my first race after a five-month injury break, so I'm more than satisfied."
In the women's category, favorite Anneke Beerten from the Specialized Factory Racing Team from the Netherlands again had to deal with technical problems after her chain broke at the start of yesterday's prologue, but she still won. This is also the case today: on the decisive stage six, they suffered a flat tire and a broken rim. Nevertheless, in the end she beat defending champion Ines Thomas (GER) from the Canyon Factory Enduro Team with a time of 36:39.63 minutes. “It was a great race up to stage six. Unfortunately I had bad luck with the technology this weekend”, the winner struggled a bit with her material.
Ines Thoma was beaming in second place, in a time of 37:54.64 minutes, competing with the sun and was completely satisfied: “The race went great for me. However, I didn't go to the limit because I still have an important race to do next week. That it was still enough for second place is great.” Third place in the women's classification went to the German Hannah Röther from the VOTEC Haglöfs Enduro Team with a total time of 45:01.73 minutes.
In the Masters class for men over 30, Slovenia's Robert Kordez from the Orbea Geax MTB Team secured victory with a time of 33:22.35 minutes. Second place went to the German Benjamin Herold from Germany from the NRG-FOES Racing Factory Team with a time of 34:14.47 minutes. Tommy Umbreit (GER) from the [w]ride_it team finished third in the Masters with a time of 36:41.23 minutes.
Endless trails, a fantastic mountain panorama, fun with friends and top-class enduro mountain bike action - the Ischgl Overmountain Challenge 2014 once again determined the fastest enduro riders on the continent in a top-class mountain bike event. The prominent participants proved why this race is considered an unofficial European championship.
The trails of the Silvretta Bike Arena again offered everything that makes a mountain biker's heart beat faster. Together with the sponsoring partners Cannondale, Sram, Pepsi, Bike and Freeride Magazin, Ischgl once again impressively demonstrated its competence as a trail mecca in the Alps.