The 45th edition of the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon featured a route covering 227 kilometres, 5,500 metres of elevation gain and four Alpine passes. The route led from Sölden via Kühtai, Brenner, the Jaufen Pass and the Timmelsjoch back to the finish line. 4,279 cyclists from 38 nations took up the challenge – 3,971 successfully crossed the finish line. 432 women lined up at the start, representing, for the first time, more than ten per cent of the total field. Eight former winners took part once again in the race, which was first held in 1982. The date for next year has already been set: the next edition will take place on 29 August 2027.
Decision at the Jaufen Pass
The first climb up to Kühtai proved decisive. Around 15 riders, including all the top favourites, broke away and crossed the Brenner Pass together. At the foot of the Jaufen Pass, Jack Burke and former WorldTour professional Toni Palzer launched an attack. However, Palzer was unable to keep up with Burke’s pace and reached the top of the pass just over a minute behind. Last year’s winner, Daniel Federspiel, was two minutes behind and launched a daring descent towards St. Leonhard. The Austrian caught up with Palzer, and both reached the Timmelsjoch just under a minute behind Burke.
Burke secures third victory at the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon
The previous year, Federspiel had caught up with Burke at the Timmelsjoch. This scenario threatened to repeat itself when Federspiel was just a few metres behind the Canadian. However, Burke stepped up the pace and crossed the 2,474-metre-high Timmelsjoch alone. He was on course for his third victory and set a new course record of 6:29:21.2 hours. The previous best time, set by Mathias Nothegger from Vorarlberg, stood at 6:47:02.3 hours. The top six men all beat Nothegger’s record, which demonstrates the high pace of the race.
There were tears of joy at the finish line for two reasons. After crossing the line, Burke proposed to his girlfriend Melanie. Burke had been carrying the ring under his jersey for the entire race. The Canadian had been planning the proposal since February and had confided in only a few friends. Federspiel finished second and explained that he had run out of steam on the Timmelsjoch. Third place went to former World Cup luger Miguel Brugger.
Palzer makes a strong debut at the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon
Stefano Cecchini from Italy, also a former winner, finished fourth. Toni Palzer came fifth and said he was impressed by the pace of the leading riders. His attack just before the Jaufen Pass took its toll on him later on. However, the former WorldTour professional announced that he would be competing in Sölden again. Behind the Italian Luc Pierantozzi, Alban Lakata from East Tyrol came seventh.
Meyer wins for the fourth time
Janine Meyer dominated the women’s race from the outset. Not even a minor fall in Innsbruck, where she collided with her team-mate, could stop the German. The 48-year-old from Cologne kept her compatriots Julia Jedelhauser (4th place) and Eva Schien (2nd place) at bay throughout. Meyer beat her course record from last year by seven minutes with a time of 7:15:46.2 hours. The fourth consecutive winner explained that she focuses on the mountains one by one and does not pay attention to the time.
Germany’s Eva Schien was in second place throughout the race and crossed the finish line in 7:28:10.3 hours. The Kehlheim native had already finished second last year. She thus improved on her time from the previous year by around eleven minutes – in 2024 she had taken 8:05 hours. Melanie Geiger from Vorarlberg managed to secure a place on the podium at the Timmelsjoch. The mother of two and architectural draughtswoman overtook Julia Jedelhauser, who had been in third place for a long time. Geiger was overwhelmed by her success and emphasised the support she had received from her family.
International participation
Participants from 38 countries completed the course. They travelled from places including Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and the USA. Over 25,000 applications for just over 4,000 starting places demonstrate the international appeal of the cycle marathon. The event acts as a catalyst for tourism in the region. For the first time, more than 400 women took part – bringing their proportion to over ten per cent.
Over 1,300 helpers are behind the Ötztal Cycle Marathon, many of whom are volunteers. They secure the route, man the refreshment stations and coordinate the race. As a partner of Green Events Austria, the event focuses on waste reduction, reusable systems, regional partners, e-mobility and public transport. The Bike4Help prologue supports families in need in Tyrol. This year, 6,500 euros were raised, bringing the total raised over the last seven years to 35,000 euros.
High-profile participants in the Ötztal Cycle Marathon
Werner Heel, Manfred Mölgg and Florian Scheiber were among the well-known names from the world of skiing. Scheiber was tackling the Ötztaler for the third time and works as a coach for the Norwegian World Cup team. Former German professional cyclist Jörg Ludewig and the reigning Ultracycling World Champion Lukas Kaufmann also took up the challenge. Manfred Mölgg clocked the best time among the celebrities with 7:25:48.0 hours, finishing 89th overall.
Martin Strobl from Graz took part in his 36th Ötztal Cycle Marathon at the age of 81. Twenty-six participants had already lined up at the start more than 20 times. Organising committee heads Heike Klotz and Dominic Kuen emphasised that the real heroes are those who cross the finish line many hours after the fastest riders.
Supporting programme in Sölden
From Friday onwards, everything in Sölden revolved around cycling. The Bike4Help charity prologue kicked off the race weekend. The ‘Ötztaler Sattelfest’ bike expo showcased the latest trends from the world of cycling. This was followed on Saturday by the ÖRM Live podcast and the riders’ briefing. The 45th Ötztaler Cycle Marathon on Sunday was the sporting highlight.
Kristian Bauer
Editor