RSV Erlenbach are among the protagonists eagerly awaiting the 30th November when they will host the final round of the prestigious 2019 UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup.
For more than 20 years, the club in Germany has been showcasing and celebrating the crème de la crème of artistic cycling. Now, for the second year running, RSV Erlenbach will host the UCI World Cup decider - in parallel with the popular Wine Prize competition - at Sulmtal Hall, Erlenbach, the focal point for the small wine community in Heilbronn.
And it is expected that the venue will again be full to the very last seat: the spectacle is a real crowd puller – and not just for the die-hard fans of indoor cycling.
This local popularity of the event no doubt has a lot to do with Chief organiser Rolf Halter: a former successful athlete, a UCI World Champion trainer and now chairman of Indoor Cycling World Wide, he works to promote the positive development of this young UCI competition.
After three preliminary World Cup rounds in the Czech Republic, Belgium and Hungary, the single riders, pairs and ACT4 teams will compete for the white and red jerseys of the overall UCI World Cup winners.
The entrants in the UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup come from Germany, Switzerland, Japan, the Czech Republic and Hungary. As is the tradition, the winners will come away with some of the local wine!
The favourites
With the most athletes entered (15) Germany has a strong offering but cannot expect victory in all events.
In the Open Pairs, the European Champions Nina Stapf and Patrick Tisch (Magstadt, Germany - 260 points) and the World Championships silver medallists from Switzerland Lukas Burri and Fabienne Hammerschmidt (Uzwil - 250 points) compete for the overall victory.
The reigning UCI World Champions Serafin Schefold and Max Hanselmann (Öhringen, Germany), are the local heroes equipped with a wildcard. They are favourites to win on the day, but due to injury they have only participated in one tournament this season.
In the Singles, UCI World Champion Lukas Kohl (Kirchehrenbach) and Milena Slupina (Bernlohe) are the title contenders from Germany.
Likewise in the Women’s Pairs, where the World Championships silver medallists Sophie Nattmann and Caroline Wurth (Gutach, 270 points) will duel for the UCI World Cup crown against reigning UCI World Champions Lena and Lisa Bringsken (Böhl-Iggelheim, 240 points).
And in the Act4, the women's team of RSV Steinhöring (280 points) and the mixed quartet of the RKV Denkendorf (230 points), both from Germany, compete for the overall victory.