With two victories in Albstadt at the MTB Classics and a second place in the 3 hour race at the MTB Festival in Waldbrunn in Germany, the Kona / Bike Ranch Factory Team is off to a flying start!
Julian Kienzler and Markus Ziegler started as a team of two at the 3-hour race in Waldkatzenbach. The plan was initially to change rider every lap, as the 7-kilometre route is very tiring. But the organizer stipulated that the starting rider had to complete two laps. This should prevent dangerous situations in the first round.
Julian was the first of the two to start and started from the front row. Together with the individual riders, a high speed was driven straight away. Already at the end of the first lap the field was strongly spread out. Julian unwound his second lap and handed over to Markus who was in second position. From now on he accelerated, but could not close the gap to the front. From now on, every lap was changed and the pace kept high. The wind was a constant companion. Once as a riding tailwind, once as a strong headwind. The time went by very quickly and Markus went on his last lap. He wanted to make the impossible possible and send Julian out for another round. Mathematically, it was practically impossible, but one should leave no stone unturned. But on one of the last trails, the bike slipped away on a root and Markus had a little crash. It went on quickly and Markus handed over to Julian again. Unfortunately it was too late and Julian was not allowed to complete another round.
The team of two finished the race in second place with 8 laps completed.
Teammates Fabian Bärmann and Uli Brucker started at the Albstadt Classics. Brucker tackled the short distance. The three-time German champion was able to pull away straight away and confidently took first place. Brucker tested his form for the first time after a long break. Newcomer Fabian Bärmann entered his first race for the new team and immediately showed what he was capable of. Highly motivated, he tackled the 42 km route. Asphalt, forest paths and built-in trails demanded a lot. Fabian was able to assert himself clearly and mastered the 1260 vertical meters elevation race in a time of 1:42:20 hours and won the U 19 riders.
“What a weekend for our team! With podiums at the start of the season, I’m really proud of these riders. Now we are highly motivated to continue.” Carsten, Bike Ranch Team Manager
