#1 Bundesliga Obergessertshausen
- Sam Weber
- Mar 17, 2023
- 3 min read
On the first weekend in March, the international MTB Bundesliga kicked off the 2023 racing season in Krumbach and Obergessertshausen, Bavaria. The series kicked off with thrilling races in the short track discipline on Saturday in Krumbach and in the cross country discipline on Sunday in the home of last year's Cape Epic winner Georg Egger. Egger himself entered his name in the weekend's winners' lists with a triumph in the short track, while Lia Schrievers, Anne Terpstra and Luca Schwarzbauer also triumphed in the elite classes.
Sven Strähle and Lars Gräter started for the Cube Next Generation XC Team at the short track race in the city center of Krumbach. For the latter, the short track race to kick off the German MTB Bundesliga was the first race in the U23 and elite classes, respectively, as these age groups were held together.
The top seven drivers from each of three qualifying races advanced to the final, which both drivers reached. "The qualifying run was really good and I was able to enter the final in fifth place in my heat, but I wasn't completely satisfied with how the final went. I didn't feel good towards the end and had to let the others go," said Straehle after the race. Lars Gräter showed a strong performance from a bad starting position in his heat and qualified seventh for the final. In the final, the young Gailenkirchener, starting from the very back of the field, could not do too much more and on the narrow and fast course through the city center, overtaking was difficult and groups quickly formed that lasted until the end. In the end, however, the 18-year-old finished the race in a commanding 16th place.
In the main cross-country race on Sunday in Obergessertshausen, Sven Straehle, who had also competed in the short track the day before, was joined by U23 rider Fabian Eder. Both got off to a good start and were able to hold their own in a German field that ranged from good to very good. While Sven Straehle was fast in the TopTen on the way, Fabian Eder fought behind it for a place in the Top 15. Already in the start lap and hours before it rained lightly on the track, which became a bit greasy because of it. At the end of the first lap it went on a short forest road passage on the tar towards the finish, this part was the young Töginger to the doom. The slippery ground coupled with the wet tar made it very challenging for the participants. The 19-year-old Bavarian rode a little too fast on the tar and he lost control of his bike. This crash caused the young Cube Next Gen XC rider to lose his footing. He subsequently tried to make up places again managed to do so, but in the end had to pay tribute to his high pace of the chase again and eventually finished 19th. "The pace was good, I felt top until the crash. That was unnecessary. Nevertheless, it was fun and I'm happy with my current form," said Fabian Eder after the race.
Sven Strähle from Böbingen held his own in the top ten in the international starting field, leaving two former world champions behind him. "The race was ridden enormously fast, the feeling was good, for the beginning of the season it goes in the right direction," summarized Strähle as 10th in the finish. Next up for the Böbinger is Slovenia and Croatia at the end of the month.
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