Stigger and Flückiger dominate the XC classic in Nals

At the 25th Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race in Nals, Laura Stigger (AUT) and Mathias Flückiger (SUI) dominated the elite races. Stigger won ahead of Alessandra Keller and Nina Graf, while Flückiger relegated his teammate Lars Forster and fellow Swiss rider Fabio Püntener to second and third place. In the U23 categories, Austria’s Katrin Embacher and Denmark’s Nikolaj Hougs triumphed. Anja Grossmann (SUI) and Giovanni Bosio (ITA) won the U19 races.

The small South Tyrolean village of Nals, known as the “Village of Roses,” came alive with the sound of pedaling and thrilling duels between some of the world’s best riders who rode in Italy’s only Hors Catégorie cross-country race. The technically demanding 4.2-kilometer circuit, featuring 180 meters of elevation gain and winding through apple orchards, hosted races under sunny skies starting with the juniors in the morning, followed by the U23s, and finally the elite. The races lived up to expectations, delivering an unforgettable spectacle for both the women and the men.

In the Elite race, a compact leading group formed after the approximately 1,000-meter-long opening lap and stayed together until the final kilometers of the seventh lap. Strong Swiss riders took turns at the front, including European Champion Lars Forster, World Champion Mathias Flückiger, as well as the current UCI World Ranking leader Fabio Püntener and Filippo Colombo, both from Team Scott Sram Racing. The race was tough and tactical. The final kilometers were highly suspenseful as the riders unleashed all their power. In the final turn before the finish, Mathias Flückiger ultimately prevailed, leaving Forster in second place and Püntener in third, making for an all-Swiss podium. For Flückiger, this was already his third victory in Nals. He said: “As always, it was a tough race with difficult climbs, where I was able to make the difference. I’m very satisfied.”

The Italians Matteo Siffredi and Filippo Fontana were unlucky due to technical problems, while Friuli’s Daniele Braidot of CS Carabinieri was the top Italian. Martino Fruet from Trentino, a crowd favorite and veteran of the race who has finished all 25 editions, put on a show. In what he announced would be his final start, he once again rode all laps and crossed the finish line cheering while performing a wheelie.

In the U23 category, the race remained exciting between Denmark’s Nikolaj Hougs and the Swiss defending champion Nicolas Halter. After a duel over three of the six laps, Hougs picked up the pace and built a ten-second lead, which he defended all the way to the finish. Halter finished second ahead of Germany’s Benjamin Krüger. Niclas Pallweber had bad luck with a flat tire right at the start of the race.

In the women’s race, the starting field featured numerous world and national champions, but the versatile Austrian Laura Stigger clearly dominated the race. She broke away early and confidently controlled the race over technical singletrack and challenging sections. She won with a lead of more than a minute over world champion Alessandra Keller in second place, followed by the Germans Nina Graf and Luisa Daubermann. South Tyrolean local hero Greta Seiwald finished in a strong fifth place.

In the U23 women’s race, Austrian Katrin Embacher took the win. She initially rode behind Ella Maclean Howell of Great Britain but then launched a decisive attack and won with a 40-second lead over Slovenian Marusa Tereza Serkezi, who overtook Maclean Howell to finish second.

The juniors kicked off the day’s racing, providing plenty of excitement under the watchful eye of Italian national mountain bike coach Mirko Celestino. In the men’s race, Giovanni Bosio won with a strong comeback. After a crash at the start, he fought his way back to the leading group and ultimately won despite his injuries. Paolo Costa and Jacopo Putaggio followed behind, taking the remaining podium spots.

In the junior women’s race, 18-year-old Swiss rider Anja Grossmann, who finished second last year, won convincingly with a solo breakaway. Eva Terpin from Slovenia and Italian champion Mariachiara Signorelli joined her on the podium.