The 44th Ötztaler Cycle Marathon produced a Tyrolean double success in perfect weather conditions. Daniel Federspiel fulfilled his lifelong dream at the age of 38 and celebrated his first victory in the traditional race after 6:48:55 hours. Local hero Jonas Holzknecht, just 20 years old, became the youngest runner-up in ÖRM history to secure a place on the podium. Janine Meyer from Germany dominated the women's race and set a new course record of 7:22:32 hours. The 47-year-old from Cologne thus celebrated her third victory in a row and emphasised her exceptional position in this classic. In total, cyclists from 40 nations took part, including 392 women - a new record that documents the increasing proportion of women at the Ötztal Cycle Marathon. This has risen by 50 per cent in the last ten years.
Ötztal Cycle Marathon: Decision at the Timmelsjoch
On Saturday it was still rainy in Tyrol with low temperatures - on Sunday, however, the conditions were perfect. The race developed into a real thriller. Local hero Jonas Holzknecht caused a stir early on when he and Belgian Sieben Devalckeneer broke away from the peloton and dominated the race for long stretches. At the Jaufenpass, the favourites made their move for the first time, but the decisive attack came from Daniel Federspiel at the Timmelsjoch. The former MTB Eliminator World Champion had already caught up on the descent and then rode to the front with impressive strength. He overtook last year's winner Jack Burke and continuously extended his lead. The speedometer needle of the accompanying motorbike showed 105 km/h as he rode towards the finish on the descent from the Timmelsjoch with a large gap. With a time of 6:48:55 hours, Federspiel just missed Mathias Nothegger's course record (6:47:02 hours) by two minutes.
"This victory has been my big goal for so long. It's hard to realise that it has now become a reality. The emotions when I reached Sölden with cramps were indescribable. I skied at my own pace on the Jaufenpass. Maybe that was a good thing, because I was able to really push on the Timmelsjoch. When I saw Jack, I got a few extra watts," explained the overjoyed winner at the finish of the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon 2025.
Holzknecht secures Tyrolean double podium
The battle for the other podium places in the men's race was particularly dramatic. On the descent towards Sölden, Jonas Holzknecht, Matthias Reutimann and the German Andreas Isele rode in a group chased by Stefano Cecchini. A few hundred metres before the finish, Holzknecht took the sprint and secured second place. With his fierce performance, the 20-year-old made history as the youngest runner-up in the history of the Ötztal Cycle Marathon.
"Indescribable, I can't put this second place into words. The podium was my biggest dream this year. I had a great day and gave it a go right from the start," said Holzknecht, delighted with his success. Third place went to Matthias Reutimann from Switzerland. Hans-Jörg Leopold was the third best Austrian in sixth place, while Alban Lakata had to make do with eighth place. Last year's winner Jack Burke had a difficult day: "The attack on the Jaufenpass was a mistake. I pretty much collapsed on the Timmelsjoch. Things just aren't going well this year."
Janine Meyer put on an impressive solo performance in the women's race. The German already pulled away from her competitors in Kühtai and continuously extended her lead. Her passage times underlined her exceptional form - she passed the Brenner Pass just a few minutes behind all the top male favourites. Over the Jaufenpass and the Timmelsjoch she left nothing to be desired and set a new course record of 7:22:32 hours, four minutes faster than her own best time from the previous year. Previous year.
"It's incredible, I was travelling alone for so long. The first victory at the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon was certainly the best because my parents were also there. But I wouldn't swap any of my three triumphs for anything else," said Meyer after her third success in a row. With a lead of 17:14 minutes, she relegated her compatriot Eva Schien to second place. Local hero Belinda Holzer completed the podium in third place with a time of 7:51:37.
Prominent participants at the Ötztal Cycle Marathon
The Ötztal Cycle Marathon once again attracted numerous celebrities this year. Ski mountaineering vice world champion Sarah Dreier celebrated her première with a strong performance in a time of 9:11 hours. Winter sports stars such as Benjamin Karl, Werner Heel and Manfred Mölgg were also at the start. Karl achieved his target time of under eight hours with 7:57:38 hours despite weighing 88 kilograms.
As in the previous year, the fastest of the prominent participants was Manfred Mölgg, who improved his time by ten minutes and crossed the finish line after 7:36 hours. "It was such a great setting with incredible spectators. Riding with so many colleagues and friends was a dream again. It was really tough on the Timmelsjoch, I got cramps there. But the time is really great!" said the former ski racer happily. Martin Strobl, who took on the challenge for the 35th time at the age of 80, wrote a special story, providing an impressive example of the timeless fascination of cycling.
Ötztal Cycle Marathon 2026
The 44th Ötztaler Cycle Marathon not only attracted interest on site, but also with a 15-hour live broadcast on the internet, which was watched by up to 10,200 viewers at the same time. The date for next year has already been set: the 45th Ötztaler Cycle Marathon will take place on 30 August 2026. Toni Palzer, who supported the live stream as co-commentator, has already announced his interest in taking part in the race.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
