On Sunday, the 23-year-old added another outstanding result by winning the silver medal in the Latvian National Road Race. After an aggressive race, he was narrowly defeated in the final. Racing alone against several riders from other teams, he came in one second of completing a remarkable double. With gold in the time trial and silver on the road, the Latvian newcomer enjoyed the most successful national championship week of his career.
German Development Riders Compete with the Professionals
BIKE AID also delivered an impressive performance at the German National Championships in the Thuringian Forest. The demanding circuit around the Rennsteig turned into a brutal elimination race, with only 25 riders reaching the finish line.
Lennard Sternsdorff from the professional team and Maxim Rohr from the BIKE AID Development Team both made the day's first major breakaway. Later in the race, young development rider Elijah Witzack remained one of the last amateur riders in the leading bunch, once again demonstrating his outstanding potential.
Oliver Mattheis also produced a strong performance on the selective course, finishing as BIKE AID's best rider in 13th place. Once again, the championships confirmed that Mattheis has established himself among Germany's strongest climbers.
The Development Team as a Successful Model
The performances of the BIKE AID Development Team once again confirmed the success of the team's long-term philosophy. BIKE AID is the only German Continental team to operate its own U23 development squad alongside its professional team, creating a structured pathway for young German riders into professional cycling.
The National Championships demonstrated exactly how this concept works, with young riders gradually closing the gap to the professional level and already proving capable of competing alongside far more experienced professionals.
