Bestmed Tour of Good Hope champion Ariane Luthi placed third in the MTB Elite and Masters Marathon European Championships in Spilimbergo, Italy, yesterday.
The Team Spur rider crossed the finish line in a time of 5:16:46. The race was won by Norway’s Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa, while Poland’s Maja Wloszczowska claimed second after 5:06:39.
Ariane Luthi claimed the bronze medal in the MTB Elite and Masters Marathon European Championships in Spilimbergo, Italy, yesterday. Photo: Mark Sampson/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
According to a statement on her personal Facebook page, Luthi did not give up on her hopes to win the jersey ubntil the last kilometre.
“It’s what made me push myself all the way to the limit and saved me the bronze medal at the end. If you shoot for the stars, you’ll at least hit the moon, right?,” she said.
Luthi added that 44 seconds to fourth placed Esther Suss was not a lot after more than five hours of racing.
“That and having given it my all in this tightly fought race makes me all the more proud to take home this beautiful souvenir from my first European Championship.”
View more results below.
Elite women
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway) 5:06:16
2. Maja Wloszczowska (Poland) 5:06:39
3. Ariane Luthi (Team Spur) 5:16:46
4. Esther Suss (Team BikErich) 5:17:30
5. Barbara Benko (Hungary) 5:19:05
6. Blaza Pintaric (Slovenia) 5:23:06
7. Jessica Pellizzaro (Italy) 5:26:22
8. Jana Pichlikova (Ceska Sporitelna Junior MTB) 5:27:47
9. Michalina Ziolkowska (Poland) 5:30:50
10. Maria Cristina Nisi (Italy) 5:35:55
