A dream start for the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team at the Marathon World Cup. In the first of three events on the calendar, Fabian Rabensteiner emerged victorious on the fast and technical course in Nové Město, Czech Republic, finishing the 123 km race in 4h39’45”.
The experienced South Tyrolean rider made the decisive move in the final segment, pulling away just enough (7 seconds) to edge out Namibia’s Alex Miller, who sprinted past Samuele Porro, preventing Wilier-Vittoria from securing an impressive one-two finish.
The course featured a fast and relatively flat opening section, followed by a more challenging part within the XCO track, with the whole loop repeated twice. At the start of the second lap, Rabensteiner, Porro, Miller, and Marc Stutzmann broke away and worked well together until the final part of the circuit, where Rabensteiner proved to have the upper hand.
"We worked well together, built a good lead, and then battled it out once we hit the XCO track," said Rabensteiner, the current World Cup holder. "I attacked decisively on the climb and managed to hold on until the end. Starting the World Cup like this is exactly what I wanted and confirms the hard work I've put in over the past few weeks. Let’s keep it up."
"I felt good but had low expectations since I hadn't raced in two months," added Porro. "It was thrilling to break away with a teammate like Fabian and secure a double podium. It's a shame there are only three World Cup events because today, racing on the XCO course, the show was truly fantastic."
The next Marathon World Cup events will take place in Megève, Haute-Savoie (June 30), and Lake Placid, USA (September 29).
Simone Avondetto’s debut in the European XCO champion’s jersey was solid but not spectacular: still feeling the effects of the grueling and muddy European Championship in Romania, he finished 14th.
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