Trionfo italiano di Manuel Senni in 6:49.18 con solo due minuti dal record. L’ultimo podio italiano risaliva al 2017. Al secondo posto l’austriaco Lakata Alban 6:51.59 e terzo l’olandese Hoogerland Johnny 6:53.13. Per il podio femminile al primo posto la tedesca Meyer Janine 7:27.47 davanti all’italiana Arnaudo Samantha 7:47.26 e terza la tedesca Rossmann Catherine 8:00.12.

(Soelden/Tirolo/Austria – 9 luglio 2023. Per molti è considerata la gara dei sogni, perché ci vuole tanta tenacia, tanta fatica e tanto allenamento per terminare la gara. Un sogno, che quest’anno, si è realizzato in un periodo insolito rispetto alle precedenti edizioni e che rimarrà nella memoria perché dalla prossima edizione (1 settembre 2024) si ritorna al tradizionale periodo di fine stagione.

Alle 6.30 con un clima perfetto e il sole che spuntava dalle alte vette dell’Oetztal, 4335 partecipanti (322 le donne) hanno assiepato le griglie di partenza e creato il lungo serpentone che in 11 minuti è partito alla conquista della gara di 227 km con un dislivello di 5.500 metri e i temutissimi passi che caratterizzano questa competizione giunta alla sua 42. edizione. Una giornata soleggiata dove la temperatura è stata una delle insidie per i concorrenti provenienti da 34 nazioni, i tedeschi i più numerosi seguiti da austriaci e italiani 651 (di cui 39 donne).

Dal suo debutto nel 1982, con 115 partecipanti, la manifestazione è cresciuta fino a diventare una delle più temute e ambite gare delle granfondo internazionali. La voglia di partecipazione non si arresta mai: sono state 19.000 a novembre scorso le richieste. Numero chiuso (4.000 partecipanti) e percorso unico per tutti di 227 km con 5.500 m di dislivello, chiuso in gran parte al traffico veicolare.

La gara, iniziata alle ore 6.30 da Sölden nella valle tirolese dell’Ötztal, è proseguita verso il fondovalle dell’Ötztal per poi affrontare il Kühtai (2.020 m), il primo passo dopo una discesa di circa 20 km. Il percorso, in direzione Brennero (1.377 m), ha sconfinato in Italia a Vipiteno, scalando successivamente i passi Giovo (2.090) e il temutissimo Rombo (2.509 m), per poi fare ritorno a Sölden in Tirolo. Gli abituali 5.500 m di dislivello, sono suddivisi su 40,5 km di percorso pianeggiante, 95,7 km di salita e 101,9 km di discesa.

Il commento alla gara

E’ stata una gara segnata da tempo eccezionale e temperature estive, che hanno affaticato gli atleti ma che hanno regalato tempi quasi da record. Il gruppo degli italiani si è da subito portato in testa alla gara. Il vincitore (ex professionista fino al 2021) ha così commentato la sua gara “Sul passo Giovo sono rimasto solo e avendola già fatta lo scorso anno ho realizzato quanto fosse difficile il Passo Rombo e quindi sono partito all’attacco. Una delle granfondo più dure al mondo che volevo fare bene e con l’attacco sul Rombo ho conquistato il podio”

Podio maschile:

1 Manuel Senni in 6.49.18

2 Lakata Alban 6.51.59

3 Hoogerland Johnny 6.53.13

Podio femminile:

Meyer Janine 7.27.47

Arnaudo Samantha 7.47.26

Rossmann Catherine 8.00.12

Le altitudini del percorso:

Partenza a Sölden – Ötz  800m – Kühtai 2020m – Innsbruck 600m – Brennero 1377m – Vipiteno 960m – Passo Giovo 2090m – San Leonardo in Passiria 700m – Passo Rombo 2509m – Sölden 1377m.

Importante novità: la prossima edizione si svolgerà domenica 1. settembre 2024. Un ritorno alle origini dopo la parentesi di questa edizione, le problematiche legate alla chiusura strade in Alto Adige hanno trovato una soluzione per lo svolgimento della gara nel tradizionale periodo di fine stagione.

I risultati dei singoli partecipanti sono scaricabili da

 www.oetztaler-radmarathon.com/home/the-race/results.html

ENGLISH TEXT

An Italian dream came true at the 42^nd Ötztaler Cycle Marathon

Dreamlike weather for many dreamers prevailed at the 42^nd edition of the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon. Some 4335 participants tackled the most legendary cycling marathon of the Alps in Sölden. The Italian ex-professional Manuel Senni won the men’s race ahead of MTB world champion Alban Lakata, who despite a defect still made it onto the podium. In the women’s class, Germany’s Janine Meyer smashed the previous record with a start-to-finish victory. All finishers were celebrated like winners by thousands of spectators. The two-time world champion Johannes Lamparter was super strong as well!

The Ötztaler Cycle Marathon once again more than lived up to its reputation as a Mecca of the marathon scene and a pioneer in terms of innovations. By November, 19,000 people had registered while for just 4,000 the dream of the legendary Ötztaler Cycle Marathon came true – a marathon covering 227 kilometers and 5,500 altitude meters. 4,335 cyclists from 36 nations and five continents started yesterday in Sölden at 6:30 am, followed by four difficult alpine passes – Kühtai saddleback, Brenner pass, Jaufen pass and finally the 29 kilometer ascent to Timmelsjoch. It took thirteen minutes before the last starter left the finish area. There were also some record participants, 15 participants from the starting field conquered the marathon more than 20 times! The absolute record holder was 67-year-old Raimund Frischmann from Umhausen, who tackled the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon already 36 times. “But never in the summer,” he joked before the start.

Heat battle in Ötztal
Most of the participants in the 42^nd edition came from Germany (53.4 percent), followed by Austria (21.8%), Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands. They all ensured fully booked hotel beds in Sölden and the surrounding area: the cycling marathon generates 25,000 overnight stays every year on the race weekend, with an average of three nights booked, as well as an added value of 4.5 million. Over 1,300 helpers from all parts of Ötztal guaranteed a perfect event. The starters were also happy about new innovations, such as personalized videos for the finishers and thanks to the ÖRM app, everyone was always up to date when it came to tracking the cyclists. The pictures from the live stream, which lasted 15 hours, were also record-breaking!

Johannes Lamparter in the top field!
Year after year, the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon also attracts celebrities to Sölden who want to fulfill their dream of finishing! The main focus of the cycling world was on the performance of Johannes Lamparter, winner of the overall World Cup in Nordic Combined, who celebrated his cycling marathon debut yesterday. The Tirolean was part of the leading group for a long time. In the end he achieved a remarkable time of 7:40 hours and was 71^st in the overall ranking! “I didn’t have much pressure on the pedals at Jaufen pass and Timmelsjoch. But the atmosphere was so cool,” said the top athlete at the finish line! In general, it seems that winter sports enthusiasts have caught the bike fever, because snowboard ace Andreas Prommegger and ex-ski jumping star Andreas Goldberger also took part in the Ötztaler. World Cup ski mountaineer Paul Verbnjak, who was also one of the favorites, had to quit the race due to a flat tire! The world’s best sommelier Aldo Sohm, who was born in Tirol and lives in New York, also made a successful premiere. A prominent sportsman and onlooker gave the amateur athletes and celebrities valuable tips: Toni Palzer from the BORA – hansgrohe team.

Change of leader at Timmelsjoch
After the start in Sölden, the cyclists headed towards Kühtai at the usual high speed. The favorites did not play their trump card for a long time. Around 40 riders watched each other between Innsbruck and Brenner pass. Then Italy’s Tommaso Elettrico made the first decision on Jaufen pass. As a soloist, he mastered the downhill stretch to St. Leonhard and extended his lead towards Timmelsjoch to over three minutes. The Italian is an absolute superstar of the cycling marathon scene thanks to three Gran Fondo world championship titles! But on the way to Timmelsjoch he paid for his escape and he was overtaken by MTB world champion Alban Lakata, former winner Johnny Hoogerland and Italy’s Manuel Senni. The race began anew …

From the operating table to the podium
Italy’s Manuel Senni continued what Tommaso started – with an attack. With ease he broke away from MTB world champion Alban Lakata and former winner Johnny Hoogerland, whose pedaling was becoming increasingly rough. Senni from Cesenatico was a professional cyclist until 2021 and also competed in the Giro d’Italia four times. He proved his climbing strength up to the top of Timmelsjoch pass, where he was already more than 1:30 minutes ahead of Lakata and extended his lead by 2:41 minutes when he reached Sölden. Johnny Hoogerland came in third (plus 3:55 minutes), Austria’s Hans-Jörg Leopold (7:12 minutes) was fourth. Local hero Daniel Federspiel finished sixth behind Germany’s Anton Schiffer. Johannes Fiegl was the best local from Ötztal in 31^st place.

“In 2019 and 2020 I had to undergo four operations in the stomach area. That’s why I also ended my professional career. Last year I finished sixth at my first Ötztaler Cycle Marathon and today was my first victory. It was an incredibly fabulous race with such a great atmosphere and so many spectators”, Senni cheered after reaching the finish line in 6:49.18 hours. It was the 15^th Italian victory, Stefano Cecchini last won in 2017.

Lakata in 2nd place despite a defect
The East Tirolean Alban Lakata performed excellently, coming second despite a flat tire on Jaufen pass. “Of course, I wanted to win. After fourth and third place, second is now the logical conclusion. I think I have to race again next year to top it,” smiled Lakata, who was struggling with a technical problem: “I had an imminent flat tire on Jaufen pass, which made me lose more than a minute on the downhill stretch. The chase to catch up took a lot of energy and down from Timmelsjoch I could no longer take full risk.”

Start-finish victory in the women’s class
There was a new female winner: Germany’s Janine Meyer set the pace right from Kühtai and was already leading more than eight minutes at Brenner pass. This year she was crowned “Glockner Queen” with a course record and she also won the “Engadin Marathon” by more than half an hour! She didn’t suffer a setback at Jaufen Pass and Timmelsjoch either, so she crossed the finish line as the female winner in front of thousands of spectators in Sölden! The 45-year-old from Cologne clearly undercut the previous record of 7:42 hours (year 2016) with an overall cycling time of 7:27.47 hours! She distanced Samantha Arnaudo (ITA) by 19:39 minutes and last year’s winner Catherine Rossmann finished third. “With this victory I have climbed my personal cycling Olympus. It was always a dream to win in Ötztal once. My family is here and that I win with a new course record is really unbelievable,” Janine cheered and shined just as much as the summer sun.

Ötztaler Cycle Marathon 2024
The Ötztaler Cycle Marathon 2024 will take place on 01 September 2024.

All results of the 42^nd Ötztaler Cycle Marathon: www.oetztaler-radmarathon.com/home/the-race/results.html

Info:

info@oetztal.com – www.oetztaler-radmarathon.com