MTB cycling: The KMC MTB Bundesliga season 2016 came to an end yesterday in Titisee-Neustadt with a magnificent finale. As this year's overall winners, Hanna Klein and Simon Stiebjahn can celebrate extensively.
At the last race of the 2016 Bundesliga season, the weather was unfortunately not at its best. However, spectators who made their way to the side of the track despite the rain witnessed some great mountain bike racing. The track conditions were extremely demanding and demanded everything technically and physically from the drivers. However, the eyes of the spectators at the Hochfirst-Schanze in Titisee-Neustadt were not just on the “landlord” Simon Stiebjahn (Team Bulls), but also on mountain bike legend and record world champion Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa (Multivan-Merida) , who competed in a race in the Black Forest for the first time in 21 years.
The favored Norwegian did absolutely justice to her exceptional position and designed the race almost as a solo show. Already on the first lap she took the lead, which she continued to expand and never gave up. “In this weather you have to stay calm and not stress. In such conditions you have to use the first lap to get used to it. It's great to win again at the end of the season,” the Norwegian commented on the course of the race. Second place went to Anne Tauber (Habitat MTB Team) from the Netherlands, 1:56 minutes behind. Third place went to Linda Indergand (Focus XC) from Switzerland.
For Hanna Klein (Superior Bikes), fifth place was enough for her first overall victory in the KMC MTB Bundesliga. "It's great that it was enough for the overall victory. I wasn't able to prepare as well as I could because I was a bit ill after the World Cup in Andorra, but it was still good today. I didn't fly, but it felt good. And of course the fact that it was raining helped me," said the woman from Freiburg. Second overall was Elisabeth Brandau (Radon-EBE Racing) from Schönaich ahead of Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa.
A trio consisting of Simon Stiebjahn, Florian Vogel (Focus XC) from Switzerland and Antoine Bouqueret from France dominated the men's final. The top trio of three led the exciting race in Titisee-Neustadt from the second to the last lap. 200 meters before the finish, top sprinter Simon Stiebjahn mobilized the last reserves of energy and was able to gain a few meters ahead on the rising run-off zone of the Hochfirst ski jump. The 26-year-old thus achieved the first XC Bundesliga victory of his career and at the same time secured his third overall victory. Second overall is Florian Vogel, third overall is Maximilian Holz from the CEP Racing Team.
