MTB cycling: Yesterday, Alban Lakata was able to climb to the top of the podium for the third time at the Rothaus Hegau Bike Marathon. In the women's category, an outstanding driving Sally Bigham, who didn't give her competitors a chance, won.
The men's race at the 14th edition of the Rothaus Hegau Bike Marathon was characterized by extreme tension right up to the last second. Right from the start, the riders set a high pace in the only race of the UCI Marathon Series on German soil. World Champion Lakata and the New Zealand U23 driver Samuel Gaze managed the decisive attack of the race in the first lap. On a climb, they were able to break away from the leading group and visibly extended their lead. The race was decided between the Austrian and the only 20-year-old New Zealander in a thrilling sprint to the finish, which Lakata narrowly won. "I felt good and the track suits me" commented Lakata after his victory. Third place went to Swiss Jérémy Huguenin, who was alone for most of the race. With his surprising third place, he sensationally relegated his compatriot “Mister Marathon” Urs Huber to fourth place.
The Brit Sally Bigham achieved a start-finish victory in the women's race. The Topeak Ergon team rider left nothing to chance and extended her lead kilometer by kilometer. At the end of the race, Bigham had a very comfortable lead of 3:50 minutes over second-placed Ester Süss. Irritated by the newly installed passages in the course, the Swiss couldn't stand up to the Briton. According to Silke Schmidt, who finished third, the mountains were a bit missing. "In the beginning it reminded me more of a street race," explained the German marathon champion of 2013 and 2014 afterwards. Head of organization Stephan Salscheider was very satisfied after the Rothaus Hegau Bike Marathon: “The dress rehearsal for the World Championships went very well and we received good feedback from everyone. The changes to the track have been well received and we can look forward to 2017 with confidence.”