22 kilometers, over 500 meters difference in altitude, up to 17 percent ascent and 11 percent descent: starters at the Profile Design time trial, the traditional kickoff event of cycling festival Rad am Ring, had to work really hard. Nevertheless, they rode very fast times. Winner of the men’s category is Team Vorarlberg rider Manuel Bosch in 32:44 minutes, in the women’s category Bianca Lust of Team d.velop Cycle Café Ladies was the fastest rider in 39:58 minutes – and for both of them, it was just the warm-up.
Time trial circuits usually have two characteristics: they are flat and straight so the fast men and women can push the speed properly. At Rad am Ring, things are a little different though: on the 22 kilometers of legendary Nordschleife gather more than 500 meters difference in altitude and over 70 bends. Riders therefore could push as well, but just in a little different way. And they did very impressively.
All in all 144 riders of all age groups and fitness levels were sent on the circuit by Fritz Langenhorst, head of Sportkreis Ahrweiler, for Rad am Ring’s kickoff on Friday, July 28 – and they burned down a fireworks of watts. Manuel Bosch was the fastest rider in the end. The rider of Austrian Continental Team Vorarlberg finished in 32:44 minutes – only a little slower than former Vorarlberg rider Victor de la Parte who set the current course record of 31:12 minutes in 2015. “I am at the Nürburgring for the first time and didn’t know the course“, Bosch said after the race. „It was quite windy and the course is very unrhythmical. The only orientation you got is the kilometers – and they were dragging on and on in the end.“ He will get the opportunity to put his first Nürburgring experience into practice on Sunday when he participates in Rudi Altig Race, a pro race of UCI category 1.1 with his team. “We are going for a team podium“, says Bosch. „This goal and today’s victory are of course a great motivation.“ Even more so as the men’s time trial podium was “occupied“ by Team Vorarlberg riders with Lukas Meiler on 2nd place in 33:18 min. and Patrick Jäger on 3rd in 34:14 min.
In the women’s category, Bianca Lust of team d.velop Cycle Café Ladies won. She finished in 39:58 minutes, ahead of her team mate Lisa Brömmel (40:34 min.) and pro triathlete and two-times Ironman winner Astrid Stienen (41:16 min.). “I already knew the course from the past two years’ 24h-race“, she said. “I knew what to expect, but it feels quite different on a time trial bike. Hohe Acht is easier to climb on a road bike, I didn’t think that I could win this.“ She will get another chance to win starting July 29 at 11:15 a.m., when she will start in the 24h-race in a team of four: “We won this race two times already – and want to make it three this year of course“, she announces.
Besides the 24h-race and the amateur races (25, 75 and 150 km) a literally small premier will take place: Dextro Energy Kids Race on the original race circuit, including a riding skills training led by former cycling pro Gerrit Glomser.
For further information on these events and Rad am Ring in general, please visit our website at http://www.radamring.de.
About Rad am Ring
Rad am Ring is a cycling event which has taken place at Nürburgring since 2003. The course leads through the very modern Formula 1 arena and over the legendary Nordschleife. Highlights are the 24h races on the traffic-free, partly lit race course and the team quarters in the pit lane. Furthermore, in 2017 Rudi Altig Race, a pro race of UCI category 1.1 will take place for the second time. Besides the ultra- and the long-distance event several amateur races, a time trial, for the first time a mountain bike marathon and some bike rides without timekeeping are held at 2017 Rad am Ring. The amateur races are part of German Cycling Cup, Germany's largest series of amateur cycle races.
28.07.2017