Marion Fromberger (GER / 20) makes it onto the World Cup podium on a physically difficult track in Winterberg. She defends the second position in the world rankings. Her team-mate Simon Gegenheimer (GER / 32) finished fourth one week after his world championship title.
Only one week after the World Championships in Graz, Marion Fromberger was beaming again. The narrowly missed World Championships podium was the cause of tears last week, only 7 days later the Bad Griesbacher was beaming on the longed-for podium. Not at the World Championships, but at the World Cup in front of a home crowd. “I am very happy that I can make it onto the podium after all. In the past few days I have doubted myself very much, even if you should be proud after finishing fourth at World Championships, I was very disappointed. But I have to look ahead and with the race today I have also taken the first step in this direction”, said Marion Fromberger after the award ceremony of the World Cup in Winterberg.
The track didn't really suit the young rider. In the Winterberg spa park, many meadow passages shaped the course, which Fromberger does not like in itself. There was also another steep climb before the home straight, not necessarily the course profile that the Bavarian prefers. But ultimately it was also a mental achievement that led to success, because it was precisely on the unpopular climb that Fromberger and Lia Schrievers (GER / 24) distanced themselves from fourth- placed Ella Holmegard (SWE / 21). The winner was the again outstanding Italian Gaia Tormena (ITA / 19).
The newly crowned world champion Simon Gegenheimer showed another great race with the rainbow stripes on his sleeve. After a very strong time run by rider Ricky Morales (Team Corratec America / 27) from Puerto Rico, Gegenheimer met ex-world champion and eventual winner Titouan Perrin-Gagnier (FRA / 30) and the fastest of the qualification Morales in the semifinals. With his strong acceleration, the world champion sprinted from fourth place to the leading position. This brought him into the final, but it also cost the necessary grains to be able to clinch victory here. Gegenheimer finished the race in fourth place, but is 14 points behind in the overall World Cup standings, still within striking distance of the Dutchman Jeroen Van Eck (NED / 28). Gegenheimer commented on his race as follows: “I knew I had to hold my own before the final straight in order to stay in the race for the podium at all. After a very exhausting week with TV interviews, photo shoots and many appointments, my battery was simply empty. But the season is not over yet, there are still two World Cups and I will proudly present my rainbow jersey in France and Spain.”