The 2021 edition of the MTB European Championships finished today in Novi Sad (Serbia) with Lars Foster’s
win in the Elite category.
For four days, the magnificent Petrovaradin fortress has been the backdrop for spectacular races which
crowned the new European champions.
Today Lars Foster (Switzerland), European Champion in Glasgow 2018, won the title at the end of a fiercely
fought race which was made even more difficult with the intense heat. Right from the start, the Swiss was one
of the most active and then launched a decisive attack close to the finish, which he crossed 3″ ahead of the
Dane Carstensen and the Swiss Colombo.
In the Women’s races the French rider Pauline Ferrand Prevot held on to last year’s title after a very strong
performance. The reigning World Champion literally dominated the race and won the fourth European title of
her career beating the Dutch riders Anne Terpstra by 1’19” and Anne Tauber by 1’39”.
On the first day, the Team Relay title was won by Italy with Luca Braidot, Filippo Agostinacchio, Martina Berta,
Sara Cortinovis, Marika Tovo and Juri Zanotti, ahead of Switzerland and Germany.
For the third year running, Italy mounted the highest step of the podium in the Women’s Eliminator thanks to
Gaia Tormena who retained her European title; silver medal for Fem van Empel (Netherlands) and bronze for
Iryna Popova (Ukraine).
Meanwhile, in the Men’s events the Dutch rider Jeroen Van Eck, second last year, won the continental title
beating the Frenchman Lorenzo Serres and the Swede Joel Burman in the final.
In the Women Juniors it was the French rider Line Burquier who was first to the finish after an exciting duel
with the Italian Sara Cortinovis, who came second, and the Swiss Lea Huber in third place.
The Men’s race was totally dominated by Olexandr Hudyma (Ukraine) who won the European Champion title
after riding solo in the final stages, in front of Roman Holzer (Switzerland) and Alexandre Martins (France).
The Under 23 European Champion’s title went to the Swiss Joel Roth. First last year in Monte Tamaro, Roth
was the star of hard fought and fast race with the group of the best riders gradually dropping back in the final
stages. In the last stretch of the fast circuit, Roth beat the Italian Juri Zanotti and the German David List in the
final sprint.
First last year in the Juniors, the Austrian Mona Mitterwallner gained the European Champion title in the higher
category of the Under 23s, beating the Cyclo-Cross European Champion Puck Pieterse (Netherlands) and the
German Ronja Eibl.
In 2022, the Elite MTB European Championships will be held in Munich (Germany) on 19 and 20 August, and
the Juniors and Under 23 European Championships in Anadia (Portugal) from 1st to 3rd July.
2021 MTB EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, A FIRST FOR SERBIA
