PROTECTIVE Factory Team @The Hills Gravel 2025

I could approach the race fairly relaxed, as I was in the priority box with start number 5. Even so, it was very hectic and hard from the start. Because of the rain it was one big mudbath and the surface was heavy, which made the course slower. At kilometre 30 there was a tunnel that the riders at the front got through quickly, and the leading group formed, which I was part of. On the first climb the first six rode away, but I decided to save my energy, which in hindsight was a mistake. I then found myself in the second group with eight others. After roughly 75 km, my group and the leading group took a wrong turn, so we were back together.

At kilometre 100 I rode away with six others, but in the mountains the group had already completely fallen apart by kilometre 120, and from then on everyone rode for themselves. At kilometre 140 I was still in 4th position. I wanted to take another gel for the last part, but I had none left, as some had also fallen out of my pocket. Unfortunately, that meant I completely cracked 15 km from the finish. Two riders then overtook me, and I had no chance of going with them. In the end I finished 6th. A few avoidable mistakes that annoy me, but I am still very happy to have secured another top 10 result in a brutally hard race. We can build on that, and I am now looking forward to the race at the Wörthersee!

After crashing on the recon the day before the race, the start was initially a question mark for me. Once I had got through the night reasonably well, I decided to start and try to make the best of the situation. The first hour of the race went quite well and I was still able to stay at the front. After the first key section, a run-up passage through a tunnel, I lost contact with the front and from then on I was part of a large chasing group (around the top 20) that steadily shrank. With just under 50 km to go, I was completely knocked out, and the after-effects of the crash, especially my bruised rib, forced me to let the group go. From then on it was pure agony, with only one thought in my head: reaching the finish line. After being passed bit by bit and getting through the last 20 km, during which I was so cold that I could barely feel my hands, I reached the finish in 32nd place in just under 7 hours. All in all, not the result I had hoped for, although under the circumstances I am still relatively satisfied. Now it is time to recover, so that I can hopefully be back on the start line fit at Wörthersee Gravel.