Seewald and van Doorn out to defend world crowns -

Defending champions Andreas Seewald of Germany and the Rosa van Doorn of the Netherlands wil be looking to stave off the pretenders in Costa Blanca as the UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup kicks off this weekend.

Seewald, 34, won two of last year’s five rounds, while Van Doorn, 24, took three victories, with no other rider in either field claiming more than one win. Challengers will therefore have plenty of motivation to shake up the standings.

It’s the first time the Costa Blanca course at Calpe‑Benissa is being featured in the series. On paper, the course’s 82 km distance is close to the season’s average, while its 2,700m of climbing falls a little below the 3,116m average, which may give the impression that this is a gentle start to the season. However, with cooler temperatures and key climbs at approximately 40km, 50km, and 65km, riders will be pushing to their absolute limit, with each ascent offering an opportunity to attack and challenge their rivals.

Among the women’s title contenders, Poland’s Paula Gorycka-Kurmann, who won round 5 in Girona (Spain) last year on her way to third overall in the series, will be out to put on an impressive performance. She recently logged a serious training blocks in Gran Canaria, Spain.

Likewise, Italy’s Sandra Mairhofer, who triumphed at her home race in the Dolomites (Selva Val Gardena – round 2) and who finished second in the overall rankings last year, will be sure to challenge for the win.

In the men’s competition, Seewald’s challengers include 2025 race winners Héctor Leonardo Páez (COL), double UCI World Champion (2019 and 2020) who claimed victory in round 3 in Andorra (Sant Julià De Lòria – La Rabassa), Belgium’s Wout Alleman, winner of round 1 in Capoliveri-Elba Island (Itlay), and Switzerland’s Casey South, who took round 5 at Sea Otter Girona.

Also in contention for the title are 2024 overall winner Fabian Rabensteiner, as well as his other Italian compatriots Samuele Porro and Gioele De Cosmo, and Switzerland’s Marc Stutzmann.