MTB cycling: The titles were awarded at the German Cross-Country Championships in Wombach last weekend. In the women's race, Sabine Spitz won her 13th title, while Markus Schulte-Lünzum won the men's race. The cross-country DM U23 titles went to Sofia Wiedenroth and Lukas Baum.
Several thousand spectators witnessed top-class mountain bike racing in Wombach last weekend. The Cross-Country DM provided the highest level of excitement with gripping duels, although there were also surprises and drama. Defending champion Manuel Fumic is still chasing his top form and missed out on the podium with fourth place. Markus Schulte-Lünzum was in the lead for most of the race, with Christian Pfäffle taking over from time to time. In tow of the duel was Moritz Milatz, who was able to keep up with difficulty.
On the penultimate lap, Christian Pfäffle suffered a rear wheel defect while in second place, which forced him to change the rear wheel. The man from Neuffen started the race again, 30 seconds behind the leading duo. Manuel Fumic, who was able to gain access through this defect, was shaken off again straight away. Markus Schulte-Lünzum was able to gain a twelve-second lead and won ahead of a disappointed Moritz Milatz. Christian Pfäffle saved third place despite the defect, but the Swabian's joy was limited: "I had really good legs and I think I could have competed for gold, a shame. I was never over the limit the whole time, it was a comfortable speed for me".
With the women Sabine Spitz followed a clear tactic with pressure on the mountain and risk-free descents, which should pay off in the end with the victory of the German championship. For the 44-year-old it was the 18th championship title overall and the 13th title in cross-country. Of course, the question is justified as to how long we can continue to enjoy the performances of this top athlete - given her age. After the race, the three-time Olympic medalist explained: "I don't think it's out of the question that I'll still compete in cross-country races, but to be competitive you have to be serious about the sport."
How strong Sabine Spitz is at the moment is also demonstrated by the comment of second-placed Helen Grobert: “In the first climb, Sabine always got a lead. I wanted to defend my jersey, but Sabine deserved to win. Nobody made a mistake, otherwise something could have changed.” Elisabeth Brandau from Schönau won the bronze medal. Adelheid Morath finished fourth, but due to illness and injury she is not yet able to repeat her top performances.
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