Fromberger doubles up in Sakarya, Serres strikes back

Round 4 of the UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup is in the books!

Round 4 of the UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup is in the books! In a nail-biting race in Sakarya, Türkiye, German champion Marion Fromberger and French dark horse Lorenzo Serres claimed the wins. With two rounds to go, Jakob Klemencic from Slovenia and Fromberger remain at the top of the overall standings.

Just two months after the unforgettable UCI World Championships, the world’s top eliminator riders returned to Sakarya. Round 4 of 6 in the UCI World Cup held no surprises: the course at the Ayçiçek Bisiklet Vadisi bike stadium is well known as a true test of both physical strength and technical skill. Once again, thousands of enthusiastic fans came out to witness the action.

The day started turbulently, as pre-race favorites Edvin Lindh (SWE) and Gaia Tormena (ITA) both crashed in the qualifying time trials. Although both riders still made it through to the next round, Tormena was eventually forced to abandon. Bad luck also continued for UCI World Champion Lindh, who suffered a flat tire and was eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Fastest woman in the qualifiers was Marion Fromberger — a strong start that ended with an even stronger finish for the German champion. In a thrilling duel with UCI World Champion Mariia Sukhopalova, Fromberger took a back-to-back victory, ahead of Sukhopalova (UKR) and Adela Pernicka (CZE). By doing so, Fromberger took revenge for her disappointing World Championships earlier this year, while also extending her lead in the UCI World Cup standings after her second win in a row.

The men’s race ended with a superb clash between generations. Over the past decade, Simon Gegenheimer, Jeroen van Eck, Lorenzo Serres and Jakob Klemencic have all had their moments of glory — and in Sakarya’s final heat, all four lined up together. With an impressive push, Serres secured the win, holding off German legend Gegenheimer and upcoming star Klemencic. The young Slovenian stays in control of the UCI World Cup lead, with just two races remaining.

Next up is the fifth and penultimate round in São Paulo, Brazil, already coming up next Sunday!

Finish line quotes

Lorenzo Serres: “I’m happy to win today: this is a revenge for the previous UCI World Cup round in Aalen. After having a mechanical there, I’m really happy to secure the victory today. The track in Sakarya is magnificent, and the atmosphere was unbelievable. The people gave me wings today, to get out and take the victory!”

Marion Fromberger: “This is amazing! I was a bit nervous before the start, because I crashed really bad yesterday. But now, it makes me even more happy that I could finish first. This is just unbelievable. I’m still in the leader’s jersey, and I really want to protect it, but in the sprint discipline, anything is open!”

Results

Men’s results – UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup Sakarya

1. Lorenzo Serres (FRA)
2. Simon Gegenheimer (GER)
3. Jakob Klemencic (SLO)
4. Jeroen van Eck (NED)
5. Matic Kranjec Zagar (SLO)

Women’s results – UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup Sakarya

1. Marion Fromberger (GER)
2. Mariia Sukhopalova (UKR)
3. Adela Pernicka (CZE)
4. Didi de Vries (NED)
5. Margaux Borrelly (FRA)

FULL RESULTS

Standings

Men’s UCI World Cup standings after Sakarya

1. Jakob Klemencic (SLO) – 344 points
2. Simon Gegenheimer (GER) – 251
3. Jeroen van Eck (NED) – 244
4. Lorenzo Serres (FRA) – 195
5. Edvin Lindh (SWE) – 195

Women’s UCI World Cup standings after Sakarya

1. Marion Fromberger (GER) – 420 points
2. Mariia Sukhopalova (UKR) – 245
3. Didi de Vries (NED) – 239
4. Adela Pernicka (CZE) – 175
5. Madison Boissière (FRA) – 148

FULL STANDINGS