The conditions are perfect for Sabine Spitz. The 44-year-old is happy about the sunny weather and warm temperatures. Coupled with a good preparation phase, Spitz is on top of the action at all times. The British rider Sally Bigham (Topeak-Ergon) and Esther Süss (Wheeler-iXS) from Switzerland were particularly active in the leading group of eight riders for a long time. Co-favorite Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa has problems early on and when the race enters a long and very steep asphalt climb after around 55 kilometers, she loses contact.

This left a trio at the front, which the chasers were able to reach again, but the balance of power was already clear. The decision on gold, silver and bronze was made just 200 meters before the finish. There, Sabine Spitz gains the decisive advantage when she chooses a line over a bank and through the grass, while Jolanda Neff rides out the bend. The world number one in cross-country may have sprinting skills, but the approach to the finish in Singen is too twisty and narrow for the Swiss rider to stand a chance. "After the first lap, we rode around the outside, but I saw that the line was also being ridden. That's how I got past," said Spitz. Jolanda Neff, who was narrowly beaten, calls it "a bit of a shame" that it wasn't enough for her to take the title. "But there's no question that Sabine was clever and she rode strongly. She deserved to win," congratulated the 22-year-old. "It was my first marathon race and I've never ridden such a long race before. But I had no problems, it was really cool," summarized Neff, who had already won the BMC Cup race in Solothurn the day before.

A few meters further on, a beaming winner gives her thoughts. "Singen was the first highlight of the season for me and the fact that it ended with the title couldn't have gone better, of course," says Sabine Spitz. "It was clear at some point that it would come down to a sprint. We already had a gap, but Gunn-Rita and Sally rode back up on the flat. I was surprised three kilometers before the finish who was there again. I thought, oh dear. I then tried to ride a good line in the corners so as not to give away any positions."

She was the first to turn into the last corner and in the last 50 meters Neff did not let her snatch her second European title in the marathon discipline and thus her twelfth medal at the European Championships.

Esther Süss finished third, six seconds behind. The Swiss athlete, who won in Singen in 2013, did not take the full risk on the last kilometer. She crashed in this section after the first 30-kilometer lap. "I didn't want to take any more risks. I'm totally happy about the bronze medal, as I originally didn't want to ride at all. My legs were great, despite the cross-country race yesterday," explained the 41-year-old.

Kulhavy "like a moped"
Reigning marathon world champion Jaroslav Kulhavy misses his compatriot up front. "We took turns in the lead. So of course it was more difficult on the second lap. But I was confident because I had good legs and because I am simply strong on the many flat sections," explained the Olympic champion.

So he only has Sascha Weber as an appendage. He is almost a no-name for the marathon specialists, but as a regular cyclo-cross and road rider, the Saarland native has everything you need on this undulating course in the volcanic landscape. "I was able to help Jaroslav a little at the end of the first and beginning of the second lap, but then no more. I had cramps for the last 15 kilometers, and I wasn't optimally nourished either," explains Weber. And full of respect for the new European champion, he adds: "He rode like a moped on the flat, unbelievable."

He manages to keep up and the lead grows to 3:15 minutes. One kilometer before the finish, Kulhavy pulled away slightly and took the last title missing from his collection six seconds ahead of Weber. The 30-year-old is the only mountain biker to have won all the titles in both the marathon distance and the Olympic cross-country discipline. "That was the last one I needed," grinned Kulhavy.

Sascha Weber can't quite put his par force ride to silver into perspective. "Jaroslav was stronger, but I can't judge that. I knew I had prepared well, but I didn't know how strong the others were. I arrived here completely relaxed. Now it's silver, it was a great experience and I'm happy," said Weber.

In the battle for bronze, Topeak-Ergon rider Alban Lakata came out on top (+2:05). The Austrian believes that more could have been possible in terms of performance. "The fact that we missed the train annoyed me the whole time. I had great legs. But after Kristian was in front, Robert Mennen and I couldn't put much pressure on the back. We only did that towards the end," explained Lakata. Lakata broke away from a nine-man chasing group on the Plören and took the bronze medal.

Robert Mennen, who first let go, managed to pass the Czech Jiri Novak and Tiago Ferreira and even put pressure on his team-mate Lakata. "I knew I had to get past them really quickly so that I didn't lead them back to Alban. Now it's a wooden medal for me. It's a shame, but I'm glad that my form was so good and that I was even able to go one better at the end. I've never been so close to an international medal before," explained Mennen, who finished 2:17 minutes behind.

Local hero Tim Böhme was no longer able to keep up at an early stage. He was no longer in the chasing group after just 30 kilometers. Böhme had already been skeptical in the run-up to the race.

Defending champion Christoph Sauser (Specialized Racing) was in the chasing group when he dropped out of the race for the medals with a defect.

Record number of participants: Great day for the Hegau
The Rothaus-Hegau Bike Marathon is a complete success, even apart from the 200 European Championship participants. 1150 entries set a new record for the 13th edition of the event. More spectators than ever before were drawn to the hot spots and other parts of the route. "Everything went really well. It was a great day for mountain biking in Hegau," said Stephan Salscheider from the organizing SKYDER SPORTPROMOTION, "and a perfect run-up to the World Championships here in Singen in 2017."

Ranking
Men
1st Jaroslav Kulhavy (CZE)
2. Sascha Weber (GER)
3rd Alban Lakata (AUT)
4th Robert Mennen (GER)
5th Jiri Novak (CZE)
6th Tiago Ferreira (POR)
7th Aleksey Medvedev (RUS)
8. Pavel Boudny (CZE)
9. Kristian Hynek (CZE)
10th Søren Nissen (DEN)

Women
1st Sabine Spitz (GER)
2nd Jolanda Neff (SUI)
3rd Esther Süss (SUI)
4th Gunn Rita Dahle-Flesjaa (NOR)
5. Hildegunn Hovdenak (??)
6th Sally Bigham (GBR)
7th Sosna Katazine (LTU)
8. Sabine Sommer (AUT)
9th Hielke Elferink (NED)
10. Christina Kollmann (AUT)