BENNO WILLEIT: [SPEAKING GERMAN].
Well, that was an introduction in German.
Because we're here in Austria.
And I just wanted to say welcome to Austria here to
Kirchberg for the Marathon World Championships 2013.
And it looks like a good day ahead.
The weather changed.
So it should be dry for the entire race.
Maybe slightly rainy in the afternoon, but by that time
the guys should be back here.
Start is at eight o'clock.
And they should be back here by 12:40, maybe one o'clock.
So very excited.
Looking forward for a good day.
And the guys are in good shape.
The equipment is ready.
And now we will see what the day brings.
DYLAN VD MERWE: So a race like this is a little bit different
to your typical cross country, where you've just got two feed
zones, and the guys are doing maybe six or seven laps.
Here it's one big loop, with seven
different feed intake zones.
It requires a bit more equipment than usual.
We've got three different support teams going out to
these feed zones.
And I've spent the last day and a half preparing all the
spare parts we might need.
The plan is always never to open the toolbox, never to
remove a wheel from the spare bag.
But we are prepared for anything.
PIETER WEHMEYER: We are just on our way to the first feed,
which is in Brixental.
We have to drive there.
Then we get the gondola up to the top of the mountain.
And the boys should be there in about an hour after the
start of the race, just a little [INAUDIBLE].
[CHEERING]
PIETER WEHMEYER: Right, 8 o'clock.
The race has started.
The boys are on their way.
The ladies start in half an hour's time.
We are on our way to the top of the mountain
for the first feed.
So we're on top of the mountain now, as you can see.
Beautiful, very high in the sky, and the boys are on their
way up here.
[BAND MUSIC]
[ENCOURAGING SHOUTS]
PIETER WEHMEYER: So after the first feed, the boys
have gone past now.
Susi was in the leading group of four with Alban as well.
So all the top boys are in there.
So the race is still on.
MALE SPEAKER: Come on.
You're about three minutes behind the leader.
Come on!
Let's go!
PIETER WEHMEYER: So the girls just came past
the first feed zone.
Anika was lying in third position, about three minutes
behind the leader.
So that's really good still at the beginning of the race.
Theresa was lying around 15th position and looking good.
DYLAN VD MERWE: We're on our way up to feed 3, 4A, and 7.
We are climbing about 1,000 vertical meters in a ski lift.
And that's a much better option than having to ride
that four times on a bike.
So, yeah, as soon as we're up there, the guys should be
coming in about, say 45 minutes once
we've arrived up there.
It's about a 20 minute ride up to the top.
And we'll give you the next update then.
So we're at feed zone 3, waiting for the riders.
We're up at about 1800 meters.
We're ready for action.
Hopefully we won't need any of this stuff.
But they should be coming up in the next 45 minutes or so.
This is probably one of the most picturesque feed zones
we've been at, and that we'll probably go to in the next
year or so.
So pretty happy to hang out here and wait.
[ENCOURAGING SHOUTS]
DYLAN VD MERWE: Ah, shit.
That's bad news.
All right, talk to you later Benno.
So I just got a bit of a bad news update from Benno.
It looks like Jaroslav had to pull out.
Looks like he lost a couple of minutes after feed zone 2, and
was losing more time.
So we'll get the full story later.
But positive note, front group have just come through.
Christoph is still up there.
Looking at the riders' faces is now down to a group of six.
Guys are looking super fatigued.
Looks like they've been-- we were watching them coming up
all the switchback climbs, attacking one another, trying
to split it up even more.
And this is only the second climb.
So some serious hard racing going down there.
And we're going to pack up quick and head
to feed zone 4A.
And we'll give you an update then.
So we've just got here to feed zone 4A.
If you have a look on the map, our three feed zones that
we're covering for the day are pretty much centered around
this climb.
From 3, they drop down onto the black route.
And if you look at the total map, the black route is the
additional section that the elite men are doing.
The women just cover these colors over here.
So once again, another tough climb up the top.
We should see the group split up even more, and possibly the
final selection made for the day.
[ENCOURAGING SHOUTS]
DYLAN VD MERWE: As expected, the group is split up.
And it looks like, without any technical problems the final
group of three that'll probably take the podium have
jumped off the front.
So we're up at feed 7.
This is the last feed on top of the last climb, about a 20
minute downhill to the finish.
So real strategic point.
And don't have a firm update yet.
But just listening to some of the phone calls going, trying
to translate my best German, it sounds like there's still
three up front.
So it's still Alban Lakata, Leonardo Paz from Columbia,
and Christoph Sauser.
So it's still looking good.
[ENCOURAGING SHOUTS]
ANNOUNCER: Christoph Sauser, cycling powerhouse crossing
the finish line.
Christoph Sauser, [INAUDIBLE].
Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly present the new world
champion 2013.
BENNO WILLEIT: [INAUDIBLE].
Not much to say.
Now the pressure's off again.
And just unbelievable how close it was by the finish.
And such a performance of Christoph today.
And, like I said, earlier you didn't know who was going to
come into the Signature at first.
And you just believe it as soon as they cross the line.
And seeing Christoph coming down the hill first, and Alban
just like 20, 30 meters behind, that's incredible how
close the race was after four hours 40 or something.
So insane.
I'm so proud of Christoph.
Such a great performance of the whole team.
And winning the Marathon World Championships, it
means a lot to us.
And, man, I'm stoked.
I'm so stoked.
[MUSIC PLAYING AND CHEERING]