Urner Radstars must admit defeat at Silenen

The Silenen-Amsteg-Bristen Classic Mountain Race (5.6km/about 300m difference in elevation), held for the 67th time on boarding day, offered cycling spectacle at its best. From the point of view of too many Uri fans, the only thing missing was adding icing to the cake, as the fan favorite had to admit defeat. In the elite riders race, local champ and favorite Reto Endergand was aiming for a third day victory at home after 2015 and 2018. However, his former teammate Martin Wanger, the former Swiss mountain bike champion at the marathon distance, threw a wrench in the works. Veteran Obwaldner relegated Indergand to second in a three-group race, which split off on the steepest section, by a distance of about a bike.

Despite the narrow defeat, Silener was by no means disappointed after the race. “I am very happy with my performance, even if, of course, I would have preferred to win for the third time,” he confirmed. “Today there was no grass against Martin Vanger. Knowing his final speed, I raced relatively early. But he was able to dodge and pass me. With second place I got the most out of it.”

Elite women first start

Fabio Pontner, who was also expected to score high, was unable to compete for a short time. Silener injured himself in a training fall in Ticino at the start of the week.

For the first time in the nearly 70-year history of this bike race, VMC Silenen has also held an elite women’s race on the same track, with Ritu Endergand’s sister Linda, who won a bronze medal in mountain bike racing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, as big shares traded As the favorite to win the day. However, the big star in Uri’s cycling heaven wasn’t entirely able to do justice to the role. She was relegated to second place, 19 seconds behind, by Zurich road specialist Lara Krahmann, who also competes in cyclocross tests from time to time.

Just like her brother, her disappointment was limited. “Given the fact that I did my first pure hill climb today, I’m happy with my performance,” she said. “I’m a lot better off on the roads that not only go up but down again. The decision was made about 1,000 meters from the finish. Lara Kraiman got away and I couldn’t do that anymore.”

Scenes to finish the podium at the World and European Championships

Linda Indergand currently has a very tight racing program. Already next Sunday you start in the Short-Race-SM and the following week in the Swiss Cross-Country Championship. This is followed by the World Cup race in Leongang. When asked about her goals for this season, the Ori native revealed:

“I would like to be on the podium at the World Mountain Bike Championships and the European Championships. But this will be very difficult, because many competitors have set themselves the same goals.”

Indergand will also be competing in the Women’s Tour des Suisse and is hoping for good places there.

Ranking: swiss-cycling.ch