BMX freestyle, track cycling or road racing: There was no way around the cycling events in the last few days, almost every day there was a show in the BMX park, on the streets in and around Munich or on the track at the exhibition center. At the end of the events, only the mountain bike races in Munich's Olympic Park were left to be held. The men were the first to start on Friday evening.
Around 4.3 kilometers and 157 meters of altitude, the whole eight times: this was the distance the 62 mountain bikers had to master in the mass start format. In the race, the athletes fought their way up the Olympic Hill, plunged down it again and crossed Lake Olympia on a specially built bridge. After just under 80 minutes, the winner was determined. In front of a magnificent backdrop, despite a rainy weather forecast, top favorite Thomas Pidcock (Great Britain) took the gold medal. After about half an hour, he was able to break away from his competitors and confidently drive to the European Championship title. Sebastian Fini Carstensen (Denmark) and Filippo Colombo (Switzerland) completed the podium. For the Swiss, the dominant nation in the sport, there was only a bronze medal, but with the loudest fans behind them, five athletes were able to finish in the top ten of the race. Germany's mountain bike hopeful Luca Schwarzbauer finished the race in tenth place after being right up there at the start. It was still a decent placing for the German. The rest of the German athletes finished in 13th (David List), 21st (Julian Schelb), 28th (Maximilian Brandl) and 31st (Georg Egger). Niklas Schehl was not able to finish the race.
Regardless of the placing, each athlete was once again cheered on to the finish by the approximately 13,000 fans along the course, just as could be observed in the triathlon or marathon. The Munich crowd met the expectations even on the first rainy day of the competitions. But especially the cycling events met with an overwhelming response from the spectators. Record-breaking backdrops for the BMX freestylers and now also for the mountain bikers.
The special thing about the bike races: Apart from the track cycling events, all competitions were free of charge. This made it easier for many sports-minded spectators to decide to watch events they may never have heard of before. In the competition itself, the athletes thrilled the crowds with their performances. Countless spectators flocked to the venues to experience sport, which for many was a completely new experience. And even the weather did not dampen the mood on Friday evening. Thus, all the cycling events are emblematic of a successful execution of the outdoor competitions at the European Championships so far. The Olympic Park as the center of the action inspired the crowds for any sport, for which such an exuberant audience was as much a new experience as for the spectators the sport itself.
At noon on Saturday, the women's cycling competitions of these European Championships will conclude in the Olympic Park. As the last free event, one can look forward to a final highlight. From the German point of view Leonie Daubermann, Nadine Rieder and Lia Schrievers are taking part.
Text & Photos: Luis Helm