Ziener BIKE Festival

Bartova and Fischbach shine out at iXS European Downhill Cup in Willingen

Press Release / 29.05.2016

­Jana Bartova (CZE) and Johannes Fischbach (GER) have clinched the second stop of the iXS European Downhill Cup which took place at the Ziener BIKE Festival Willingen powered by MINI today. It was the first time in the 19-year history of the three-day event that a stop of the Europa Cup tour was staged in the North of Hesse – and therefore wrapped up things at the mountain bike weekend in style.

Especially as the best qualifiers were able to take home the win.

European champion Bartova (RRP) mastered the 1,650m long former World Cup track on the Ettels mountain in 2:33.859 and therefore was 1.631 seconds faster than 15th best qualifier Carina Cappellari (SUI, Radon Magura Factory, 2:35.490) who had missed out the top seat at the tour opener in Kranjska Gora already.

"The results is great. I had some problems on the course, hit a tree once and almost crashed three-times. But I stayed focused. I'm happy about the win," Bartova stated right after the final.

Italian champion Veronika Widmann (Bike Club Egna Neumarkt, 2:37.173) defended her tour lead coming in third today.

Fischbach on fire

On the men's side of things, Fischbach was able to extend his lead by snatching a back-to-back win in the second of six tour stops posting a time of 2:12.277.

"I had to get to my limits and almost flew off the course in one of the last meadow turns. But luckily, I brought home the win," explained Germany's fastest downhill crack.

However, the Radon Magura Factory racer only triumphed with a tiny mere of two tenth of a second again over Polish speed master Slawomir Lukasik (NS Bikes FroPro, 2:12.482) who accordingly said:

"I'm a little bit disappointed. It's the second consecutive time now Fischbach beat me this way. I hope that things are playing to my favour at Schladming now."

Fischbach's French teammate Faustin Figaret rounded out the men's podium as third (2:12.934) stepping up his game after a disappointing qualifier yesterday.

For further information on the Ziener BIKE Festival Willingen powered by MINI visit willingen.bike-festival.de