Julian Gerhardt in the national jersey
"It's always a special honor to have a World Championship in your own country and to wear the national jersey," said Julian Gerhardt from the REMBE Pro Cycling™ Team Sauerland. "When the date was announced last year, I was very happy about it. The atmosphere with around 15,000 spectators in Aalen is really unique. So I had this weekend in my head for a long time and planned my training extremely carefully around it."
However, the preparation was anything but optimal. Two bouts of flu since the beginning of the year prevented him from taking part in the World Cups in France and Belgium, which is why the Neheim native could not really assess where he stood. 44 riders from 19 nations took part in the qualification. Here they then have to ride one lap on the course peppered with obstacles. Only the first 32 riders make it to the finals, which also means that the remaining 12 starters can travel home again after the qualification. "As I had absolutely no idea where I stood, I just wanted to have a clean qualification and move on to the finals. 28th place was enough." How close it is even in the qualification and how high the level is is shown by the fact that 10 riders are within one second. The finals are then triggered depending on the result. The last of the qualification is drawn in a run with the fastest and two other riders from the middle. Gerhardt had to compete against two other German starters and the eventual world champion in the round of 16, where he was then eliminated. "I knew it would be extremely difficult this year, so I'm still very happy with 27th place. At the last World Cup in Graz in 2021, I also finished 27th, so I maintained my level," smiles the Sauerlander. It remains to be seen whether it will be possible to take part in the World Cup again. The sport is becoming more and more popular and it is possible that the next events will take place overseas.
Source: Image Hans Körper
