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This year’s World Championship MTB The marathon took place on the Italian island of Elba, where men ‘s elite athletes overcame a distance of 120 kilometers, which is the longest ever world championships. The fastest riders spent much more than six hours on the track. The distance was divided into three laps, during which cyclists overcame 4,500 meters of altitude, while each lap also had to overcome an ascent that reached a steepness of 30 percent.
Latvia was represented in the competition by Muižnieks and Purniņš. Both DTG – MySport athletes have regularly participated in both world and European championships. A number of the world’s leading Olympic cross-country riders also took part in the competition, including the famous Swiss Nino Shurter. The long track, however, was a great challenge for these men, most of whom, including Shurter, withdrew.
Both Latvian athletes started the competition quite patiently. The landlord gradually began to improve his position and ability to keep up the pace, which allowed him to overtake one competitor after another. In the third lap, the Aluksne resident reached the high time of the 19th lap. At the finish, having given his last strength, the Latvian champion entered the 34th place. In his longest race of his life, Muižnieks finished the track in six hours, 41 minutes and 53 seconds.
The muzzle also only improved his position with each circle. The mountain biker from Pļaviņas was 43rd in the third lap, while the 31st was 31st in the finish lap.
The German mountain biker Andreas Zevalds became the world champion, finishing in six hours, two minutes and three seconds. Second place went to Colombo Diego Arias with a two-minute and 24-second deficit, while bronze to Portugal’s José Dias with a five-minute and 31-second slower time.
73 out of 112 cyclists finished.
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