Grazer Bike-Marathon Stattegg >> Grazer BikeMarathon Stattegg 2008

Final Tests for the World Championships with Worthy Winners

Right in front of the attractive backdrop in Stattegg's new village square, Alban Lakata and the favoured Maria Osl won the Austrian Championships and Hannes Metzler from Vorarlberg won the title European Champion in the "Mountain Masters of Europe" discipline.
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Although the weather forecast was pretty bad, the 7^th edition of the Grazer BikeMarathon Stattegg could be runned under perfect weather conditions. So the final tests for the World Championships were runned at cold temperatures, but at least dry conditions.

You were able to feel the ambiance of the World Championships already this year. Four live cameras, which were broadcasting pictures from the most attraktive race spots to a huge video wall and via live stream to internet, brought action and strain to the new START-FINISH area. On the road to the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships, August 23^rd2009, that race obviously made sure that a Mounatin Bike Marathon can be staged attractively and extremly fascinating.

For the titles of the Austrian Championships and the European Champion, riders had to manage 105km and 3.768 height meters on a challenging track. The fastest rider was Alban Lakata, who took 4 hours and 37 minutes. "The track is worthy to race the World Championships 2009 on and these Championships are my great goal for the next year", mentioned the new Austrian Champion Alban Lakata after finishing the "Pre World Chmapionships". "Particpating at the race today should guarantee an advantage for the World Championships race", stressed the current Elite European Master already locating 2009.

At the age of 29 years Lakata is curtly too young for riding at the UEC MTB Marathon European Championships. For that reason Hannes Metzler from Vorarlberg won the title by clear margin of 8 minutes to the two Germans Markus Emmerich and Max Friedrich.

At the women race the favorite Maria Osl didn't give her rivals any chance and won the title of the Austrian Championships within 6 hours and 17 minutes. The Masters European Championships gold medal won the German Kerstin Brachtendorf. A dramatical duel for the second place happened between the two Austrians Theresia Kellermayr and Ruth Hagen. Kellermayr won by margin of only half a minute!

Even politicians like the highest official in the field of sports of the provincial government Manfred Wegscheider and the mayor Karl Zimmermann were fascinated by the large ambiance of the "Pre World Championships" on the main square of Stattegg. "The direction pointing to the World Championships is right! Styria will be able to prove its competence in organizing international sports events in 2009 again", commented the official of the provincial government Wegscheider.