The beautiful and (but?) hilly Black Forest will provide the backdrop for the 2010 German hill championships on August 28 and 29. The 9.9km long circuit has its start and finish in Weilheim, with the Velo&Bike-Club Waldshut-Tiengen acting as the host.
Günter Schabel, vice president "Leistungssport" (competitive sports) of the German Cycling Federation BDR, detailed why the Velo&Bike-Club was able to secure the selection. "The full road closure and having the last 2.5km go uphill, so that the finish is on the top, was decisive," he said on the federation's website rad-net.de. "The parcours is extremely pretty and I think we will be seeing some exciting races."
Marco Gern, the race responsible of the bike club Waldshut-Tiengen, was all smiles as well. "We are very happy we could secure the races and we are expecting some thrilling races." There were four parcours considered, whittled down to two with the help of Mike Sievers, the coach for the Baden Selection - the region in which the championships are held. After further talks with the responsible traffic department, the choice fell on this route.
At 9.9 kilometers long, each lap has an altitude elevation of 270 meters, distributed over two climbs. The female juniors and women will race 60 and 80km, respectively. The male juniors, U23 and elite men have to tackle distances between 80 and 110km. All categories except elite men will also fight for the Bundesliga points, a season long cup where most of the German top races are a part of.
Gern said the chosen route was everyone's favorite. "Having the start and finish in Weilheim is great. We will have a finishing straight of 2,400 meters on an incline and therefore will have a true mountain champion."
Defending champion in the junior category, Jasha Sütterlin, hopes for some home advantage, as he hails from this region. A total of 500 athletes is expected for the races that kick off on Saturday at noon with the women and juniors and end with the elite and U23 race on Sunday at noon.