Lisa Baumann and Andreas Kolb will wear the jerseys of Downhill Mountain Bike European Champions in the Elite category for a year.
The Swiss rider and the Austrian won the continental titles today in Champéry (Switzerland) at the end of a particularly intense weekend which saw a total of 587 athletes from 27 countries take to the start line, during which titles from aged 13 to the Masters categories were awarded, making this a unique event.
In the women's race, local athlete Lisa Baumann won with a time of 3'33"50 ahead of reigning world champion Valentina Höll of Austria (3'35"35) and France's Marine Cabirou, who finished with a time of 3'35"49.
In the men's event, the world vice-champion Andreas Kolb (Austria) took the gold medal. Kolb, who already won the European Championships in 2022, finished with a time of 3'02"61, leaving behind Britain's Matt Walker (3'05"59) and France's Loïc Martin, third with a time of 3'05"85.
In the Junior category, success went to Sweden's Ella Svegby and France's Max Alran.
Enrico Della Casa, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: "Champéry proved to be the perfect venue for this event, with an ideal environment that will certainly benefit the region in terms of image. The European Championships that have just finished represented an important moment in the run-up to the World Championships in 2025, which will be held in Valais, and have therefore enabled everyone involved, from the athletes to the national teams, from the organisation to the public, to start preparing for next year.
The large number of participants at the highest level proves that the discipline is extremely attractive, confirming that the future of Downhill in Europe is bright and that it is natural to expect further growth in this spectacular discipline. In fact, over 500 participants from the age of 13 up to the Elite category made these Championships a unique event at international level, which fits in perfectly with the philosophy of the UEC, which is to encourage the development of cycling in all European countries for all categories and to promote the activities of our 51 National Federations.
A big thank you to the organisers, under the leadership of Patrice Michellod, and to all the volunteers, whose professionalism and passion made this event a great success.
The organising team was asked to do a demanding job, but they managed it brilliantly, ensuring an impeccable and memorable event for all concerned. I would like to thank the municipality of Champéry for its warm welcome and Swiss Cycling, with Co-Presidents Franz Gallati and Patrick Hunger, for their invaluable support.”
