Fromberger and Schrotzenberger take historic UCI World Cup wins in Palangkaraya, Indonesia

This Sunday, eliminator mountain bikers Quentin Schrotzenberger and Marion Fromberger have written history in the city of Palangkaraya. In the first ever Indonesian UCI World Cup race in cycling, the Frenchman and German rode to an important victory in their young careers, cheered on by thousands of fans.

Fromberger and Schrotzenberger take historic UCI World Cup wins in Palangkaraya, Indonesia

Eliminator stars from five different continents tackled a highly technical track and tropical weather conditions in Palangkaraya, Indonesia. Racing was spectacular but demanding, crowds were not only immense, but also very loud. Another chapter in eliminator racing never to forget.

The home crowds seemed to inspire the local riders from the start: no less than six Indonesian riders managed to sneak into the top five of the qualifying time-trials. Riska Amelia Agustina and Rendy Varera Sanjaya even beat all other participating riders, taking the number one for the heats. One of the favourites didn’t survive the time-trials: Marcela Lima from Brazil experienced mechanical problems and was eliminated.

The Indonesian riders were not the only ones impressing the experienced Euro participants throughout the day: national selections from Thailand and Singapore made life of the Europeans hard. In the end, four of them even succeeded in securing a place in the big finals: Ayu Triya Andriyana from Indonesia, Methasit Boonsane and Warinthorn Phetpraphan from Thailand, and Riyadh Hakim Lukman from Singapore.

But in the end, it was the racing experience and strength of the European eliminator stars that made the difference. In the final heat of the women’s race, pre-race favourite Marion Fromberger distanced her competitors early, controlling the race until the finish line. Phetpraphan (second) and Andriyana (third) preceded Mariske Strauss from South Africa in the battle for top three, while young Madison Boissière (FRA) won the small final after a troubled week.

In the final race for the men’s category, UCI World Champion leader Simon Gegenheimer went into the lead early on, seemingly in control. But despite a bad start, it was young Frenchman Quentin Schrotzenberger who managed to sneak past Gegenheimer on the final obstacle, taking his first ever win in the UCI World Cup. Gegenheimer secured second place, while Boonsane, Hakim Lukman and Ihza Muhammad completed an international top five.

“It was amazing to ride here, in Indonesia”, Fromberger enjoyed her win. “The crowds and the arena were so beautiful, and the people so nice. In the final heat, I already had a big gap after the first jumps, bigger than I expected. But I just kept going and it worked! I’m shaking: this is unbelievable!” In the UCI World Cup standings, Fromberger is second, with a 128 point deficit on leader Gaia Tormena.

Schrotzenberger was celebrating his win in euphory: “I’m very, very happy. The crowds here were incredible and the circuit so beautiful. This really was a crazy trip. I came here in an attempt to win a UCI World Cup race. I promised my parents and my team manager that I would come back home with a win.” In the UCI World Cup standings, Gegenheimer retakes the lead from Titouan Perrin-Ganier, with three more races to come.

Next week, the eliminator riders move to India for another historic round: in Leh/Ladakh, near the epic Himalayan mountains.

Results

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

1. Quentin Schrotzenberger (FRA)
2. Simon Gegenheimer (GER)
3. Methasit Boonsane (THA)
4. Riyadh Hakim Lukman (SIN)
5. Ihza Muhammad (INA)

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

1. Marion Fromberger (GER)
2. Warinthorn Phetpraphan (THA)
3. Ayu Triya Andriyana (INA)
4. Mariske Strauss (RSA)
5. Madison Boissière (FRA)

FULL RESULTS

Standings

Men’s standings UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup after Palangkaraya

1. Simon Gegenheimer (GER) – 352 points
2. Titouan Perrin-Ganier (FRA) – 321
3. Quentin Schrotzenberger (FRA) – 258
4. Felix Klausmann (GER) – 128
5. Lukas Malezsewski (BEL) – 110

Women’s standings UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup after Palangkaraya

1. Gaia Tormena (ITA) – 495 points
2. Marion Fromberger (GER) – 367
3. Marcela Lima (BRA) – 235
4. Didi De Vries (NLD) – 231
5. Ella Holmegard (SWE) – 162

FULL STANDINGS