Team Dowe Simplon impresses at German Championship

Team Dowe Simplon impresses at German Championships – Wagenstetter qualifies for European Championships

With strong performances, a European Championship nomination, and several top placements, Team Dowe Simplon of RSG Zollern-Alb Albstadt returned from the German Mountain Bike Championships in Wombach. Simultaneously, the junior talent scouting races of German Cycling (formerly Bund Deutscher Radfahrer) were held on the extremely demanding technical course. The course pushed the athletes to their limits. Challenging rock gardens, tight turns, and grueling climbs made the races a true challenge. While the Short Track on Friday and the junior talent scouting races on Saturday took place in dry and very dusty conditions, rain on Saturday night provided significantly more grip on the course. Nevertheless, the course remained technically demanding and repeatedly led to defects and riding errors.

The Elite Short Track kicked off on Friday. National rider Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) secured the German Championship title here. Tobias Steinhart held his own in the high-class field with a strong performance, finishing in tenth place.

On Saturday, the junior talent scouting races were on the agenda. Felix Sauter finished 23rd in the U15 category, gaining valuable national experience. Marlene Bilger took 20th place in the women's U17, showing great fighting spirit on the demanding course. David Schempp provided the sporting highlight for RSG Zollern-Alb in the men's U17 category. After the first lap, the Albstadt rider was only in eleventh place. With great fighting spirit and strong performances in the technical sections, he worked his way up lap by lap. In the final sprint, he ultimately won the sprint for fourth place, narrowly missing the podium. "David showed an exceptional race. After a difficult start, he never lost his composure and fought his way up to fourth place with great determination. That was an impressive performance," praised team manager Bernhard Mast-Sindlinger.

Maximilian Wagenstetter also impressed in the U19 category. The young rider managed his race excellently and stayed within striking distance of the leading group throughout the entire distance. With fifth place, he achieved one of his best results at national level to date. His strong performance was immediately rewarded: Wagenstetter received a nomination for the Mountain Bike European Championships, where he will represent Germany. "Maximilian absolutely deserves this nomination with consistently strong performances in recent months. This is a great honor for him and our team," rejoiced Mast-Sindlinger.

On Sunday, the Elite Cross-Country races followed. Despite the changed course conditions, the race remained characterized by numerous technical key sections. Team Dowe Simplon was represented by three riders: Tobias Steinhart, Niklas Scherer, and Gabriel Sindlinger. Tobias Steinhart, in particular, showed one of the strongest races of his season so far. He held his own well among the best German mountain bikers and achieved an excellent eighth place. Niklas Scherer rode consistently strong to twelfth place, and Gabriel Sindlinger completed the strong team result as seventeenth. Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) also managed to claim the German Elite Cross-Country title after his Short Track success.