For the first time in years, the Ötztaler Radmarathon finally had good luck with the weather conditions. The sun was shining from early in the morning, but fortunately, it didn't get too hot. Perfect conditions for the 4,219 starters. Jack Burke (CA) and Janine Meyer (DE) took the win.
The top favorite among the men, the Frenchman Loïc Ruffaut, sabotaged his own chances by attacking as early as the Kühtai. The strong headwind on the Brenner hindered him, but he still managed to extend his lead to nearly 8 minutes. The other favorites waited a long time, but on the Timmelsjoch, they finally pushed the pace. This had disastrous consequences for Ruffaut, who ultimately finished 8th. It was the Canadian ex-pro Jack Burke who crossed the finish line first. He needed exactly 6 hours and 49 minutes to do so. Burke had already won the ORM once in 2022.
Photo: Burke celebrates his second ORM victory. © ORM.
About ten minutes later, there was a sprint for the 2nd and 3rd places. Hans-Jörg Leopold (AT) eventually took second place, Stefano Cecchini (IT) finished third just ahead of Alban Lakata (AT).
Former winner Johnny Hoogerland (NL) crossed the Timmelsjoch in 8th place but suffered a fall during the descent due to his own mistake, fortunately without serious injury. He mentioned on Strava that he wasn't in top form.
The German title defender Janine Meyer took off just like Ruffaut on the Kühtai. On the Brenner, she managed to catch up with the large group of male favorites. Meyer won the race convincingly in 7 hours, 26 minutes, and 26 seconds, improving her own course record by just over a minute. Meyer finished 40th overall, an impressive achievement.
Belgian Ils van der Moeren finished second, a full 27 minutes behind. The Italian Robert Bussone secured third place with a time of exactly 8 hours.
Photo: Janine Meyer at the finish. © ORM
You can find all the results here.
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