The 3rd Kitzbueheler Radmarathon took place last weekend. Great performances of the athletes and some records will be remembered.
5:45 a.m. in the Kitzbühel Vorderstadt – the floodgates to the starting blocks open and the athletes take position in their starting blocks. With almost 1100 registered starters, the 3rd edition was able to register a record number of participants.
Very top-class was the front row this year. Besides KRM ambassador Andy Schleck, last year’s winners Johnny Hoogerland and Monika Fritz, Red Bull athlete Paul Verbnjak and local hero Patrick Hagenaars lined up.
The starting signal was given at 6:30 a.m. and the race went off in a neutral start towards the end of the town and from there the very strong field moved on to the first Wiesbauer mountain classification on the Pass Thurn. In the Pinzgau region, a large leading group clearly set itself apart, in which it was hotly contested until the ascent to the Kitzbüheler Horn, despite the rainy weather. On the final climb, last year’s runner-up Paul Verbnjak clearly dominated and was crowned the new overall winner of the KRM Klassik with a new course record – closely followed by his compatriot Daniel Ganahl and Canadian Jack Burke. As the fastest lady Eva Schien also climbed the podium with a new course record ahead of Ils van der Moeren and Svenja de Greef.
The fight for the first podium of the KRM Kitz powered by Gebrüder Weiss with finish in the Kitzbühel Vorderstadt was also impressive. There the Austrian Daniel Pechtl won the men’s race and the Italíenerin Maria Pechlaner won the women’s race.
“Congratulations to all finishers! You have fought, cursed and won. Everyone who takes on this challenge and masters it is a winner!”
Franz Steinberger & Marina Janda
Organization management
