Team Thömus maxon delivered an impressive performance at the Fullgaz MTB Race in Obergessertshausen, Germany, with Lars Forster taking second place and Vital Albin finishing third. In extremely tough conditions marked by cold temperatures, rain and deep mud, the team showed both resilience and attacking intent. Albin animated the race at the front, while Forster produced a strong finish to secure his place on the podium.
In the opening phase of the UCI Continental Series race, a six rider breakaway formed at the front, featuring all three Thömus maxon riders: Lars Forster, Vital Albin and Mathias Flückiger. Flückiger was unable to maintain the pace in the second half of the race, but still held on for a solid sixth place.
Albin sets the pace at the front
Up front, the race turned into a fierce battle for victory. Vital Albin was one of the key protagonists throughout, racing aggressively and repeatedly forcing the pace. Heading into the final lap, he was still in contention for the win alongside reigning U23 world champion Finn Treudler. In the decisive moment, however, Treudler proved stronger and pulled away.
Lars Forster, meanwhile, kept moving up through the field. After struggling on the climbs early in the race, he found his rhythm and made up crucial time on the descents. Growing stronger as the race went on, he launched one final effort on the last lap and overtook Albin just before the finish to secure second place, with Albin rounding out the podium in third.
Forster: “I kept getting stronger as the race went on”
“I had a hard time on the climbs at the beginning, but I really enjoyed the descents and was able to make up time there. The longer the race went on, the better I felt. That gave me the chance to push again at the end and get past Vital,” said Forster after the race.
Albin was also upbeat afterwards: “I felt really good today and I was fighting for the win. In the end, I just didn’t have an answer when Finn attacked, and then I lost one more place. Still, third is a very strong result.” With two riders on the podium, Team Thömus maxon once again underlined its strong early season form and can look ahead to the upcoming races with confidence.