As befits a real cyclo-cross event, the conditions in the region around Schaffhausen are really nasty. There is snow at altitude, while the ground has been softened all week at lower altitudes and the course is correspondingly muddy. After the prologue on Friday, which was still reasonably dry, the athletes often had to battle through deep snow on the 96-kilometer first stage on Saturday. The 89-kilometre final stage on Sunday is also mostly wet and muddy.

Winterberg fastest in winter weather
Even before the start, national team member Lukas Winterberg was considered to have the best chance of winning the title. After his victory in the prologue, Winterberg confirmed his role as favorite. During the first stage, he led for almost 90 kilometers. However, a broken rim just seven kilometers before the finish dropped him back to sixth place. Victory thus receded a considerable distance into the distance.The victory on the first stage goes to Fabian Obrist. Winterberg, on the other hand, is eleven minutes behind. The podium is still within reach for him, but the gap for overall victory is not so easy to make up. In addition, Winterberg has two stubborn opponents in Fabian Obrist and Silvio Büsser, who will try to hold out with all their might.

However, Winterberg's strategy worked: "I first wanted to split the group so that I could get Fabian and Silvio out of it - which I managed to do. The three of us rode together until Thayngen, and then I was able to accelerate seriously for the first time and get away. I knew I had to close the gap now. I used the climbs to make up time. That was hardly possible on the flat, as there were two of them." Winterberg pushed until the end and was able to extend his lead. "The last ten kilometers were really tough, but in the end I made it to the top of the podium. The event was a huge highlight! The wintry weather with rain, snow, fog and lots of dirt gave me that extra kick, it was just awesome - real cyclo-cross weather," explains the happy winner with a grin.

Viviane Spielmann took her maiden victory in the solo women's race. After winning the prologue and both stages, she relegated Carina Weidler and Vicky Goodwin to the places of honor by a large margin.

Thomas Frischknecht tops the doubles
Ex-professional Thomas Frischknecht also copes wonderfully with the adverse conditions. Although he was "just riding for fun", he won the doubles team category together with his teammate Urs Gerig. "Fun turned into a tour. In these tough weather conditions, the faster we get to the finish line, the less time we are exposed to the cold and wet weather. We actually started without any ambitions because we didn't know what and what kind of competition awaited us at the premiere. But when it became clear today that we could definitely win, we definitely didn't want to let anything get in the way and went full throttle," says Frischknecht, adding: "The conditions were really tough - almost borderline. Without my team partner, I might not have ridden the second stage at all. But as a team, especially with a close friend like Urs, it was a brilliant experience, we motivated each other throughout the race and ultimately won."

Successful premiere
Despite the challenging weather conditions with lots of snow and mud, OC President Roy Bruderer draws a positive conclusion: "Of course, the cold forced some riders to give up - which is hardly surprising with such long stages, which are not common in normal cyclo-cross races. However, most of the participants were enthusiastic about the race despite the exertions - and we were happy with that. Our aim with Tortour Cyclocross is to offer passionate endurance cyclists an innovative ultra-racing platform in winter too. We have definitely achieved this with the new format!"

The atmosphere among the athletes at this world premiere is also something very special. The international cyclocross community from ten nations forms a close-knit community in which fairness and friendship are very important. In short: at Tortour Cyclocross, it's not just the victory that counts, but above all the fantastic winter cycling adventure with like-minded people. A simply unforgettable experience.

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