Men’s results - Round 3 - UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup Aalen (GER)
1. Jakob Klemenčič (SLO)
2. Simon Gegenheimer (GER)
3. Jeroen van Eck (NED)
4. Lorenzo Serres (FRA)
5. Matic Kranjec Zagar (SLO)
UCI World Cup leaders shine in Aalen as Fromberger takes home win and Klemenčič sprints to victory
Aalen never disappoints. And you could feel it from the start, as crowds packed the city to welcome the third round of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup. And they witnessed a huge show, with standout performances from the German riders, and Marion Fromberger taking her first win in Aalen. The course featured some slight changes this year, including a few new obstacles, but the action remained intense with close head-to-head racing across the heats.
Marion Fromberger takes an emotional win and storms to victory on home soil
The qualifying time trials already gave a glimpse of the form riders were in. Czech rider Adéla Pernická made a strong impression in her first UCI World Cup appearance, clocking the fastest time ahead of Marion Fromberger and UCI World Champion Mariia Sukhopalova. Pernická continued to impress throughout the heats, but so did German champion Marion Fromberger, making her the clear favourite heading into the big final.
And Fromberger delivered. She kept impressing and put on a show from the start, powering down the streets from the start. She pushed hard, never looked back, and gave Pernická no chance to make a move. Fromberger crossed the line to claim her first win in Aalen, in front of her supporters.
Pernická outsprinted Germany’s Lina Huber for second place, while Didi de Vries came in fourth. Margaux Borrelly won the small final and completed the top five.
Jakob Klemenčič powers to victory in a three-man sprint showdown
In the men’s qualifying, UCI World Champion Edvin Lindh once again showed his consistency, setting the fastest time, but was ultimately eliminated in the quarterfinals, in an intense heat with Gegenheimer, Molnar and Van Looy.
And then it was time for one last showdown: the final. After a fast and intense start, Lorenzo Serres from France had a mechanical and his chain dropped, leaving three riders to battle it out. Dutch champion Jeroen van Eck, who took the rainbow stripes last year in Aalen on what feels like his course, and German rider Simon Gegenheimer, the home favourite, were the ones to watch in the men’s final. It was an intense and exciting heat, with the lead changing hands multiple times in a nail-biting head-to-head battle. But Klemenčič, the UCI World Cup leader, was right there behind them. Going into the final straight, Klemenčič powered forward and outsprinted Van Eck and Gegenheimer, denying what could have been a double success for Germany if Gegenheimer had joined Fromberger in winning on home soil. Instead, it was Klemenčič who surprised in an edge-of-your-seat sprint, ahead of Gegenheimer and Van Eck. UCI World Championships bronze medallist Kranjec Zagar rounded out the top five.
Fromberger and Klemenčič extend their lead in the overall standings
“First of all, I want to thank everyone for making this round so special,” said Fromberger after her win. “It’s something incredible to win in front of a home crowd in Aalen. I pushed hard from the start, and I still can’t believe it worked out. To get my first win here, in front of this amazing crowd, it’s simply amazing.”
“Honestly, I didn’t think I could beat Van Eck and Gegenheimer,” Klemenčič admitted. “They were both so strong in the final. But somehow, in that last straight to the finish, I had great legs and just went all in. It’s crazy. The energy from the Aalen crowd was unreal. For me, this is the best race of the whole season.”
With a short summer break before the next round of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup in Sakarya, Türkiye, both Klemenčič and Fromberger have extended their lead in the overall standings. All eyes are now on Sakarya to see how the standings will shift in what promises to be another intense and decisive round.
Women’s results - Round 3 - UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup Aalen (GER)
1. Marion Fromberger (GER)
2. Adéla Pernická (CZE)
3. Lina Huber (GER)
4. Didi de Vries (NED)
5. Margaux Borrelly (FRA)
Men’s standings UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup after Aalen
1. Jakob Klemenčič (SLO) – 269 points
2. Edvin Lindh (SWE) – 190 points
3. Jeroen van Eck (NED) – 183 points
4. Simon Gegenheimer (GER) – 169 points
5. Ede-Karoly Molnar (ROU) – 143 points
Women’s standings UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup after Aalen
1. Marion Fromberger (GER) – 300 points
2. Didi de Vries (NED) – 176 points
3. Mariia Sukhopalova (UKR) – 155 points
4. Madison Boissiere (FRA) – 148 points
5. Gaia Tormena (ITA) – 120 points
