The 24-year-old former rower, who tackled the 54.9-kilometer route with a 1.4-kilometer climb alongside his club colleague Jonas Rapp, who worked for the German national team, at the Hrinkow Bike Academy had entered this ramp with an average gradient of 6.1 percent in a breakaway group of five with a ten-second lead.
“It wasn’t the plan that I go into a group,” said Kepplinger afterwards. But when some drivers broke away, he went with them: “In the end I put everything on one card, but was finally caught just before the finish line.”
Up to 200 meters from the finish, Kepplinger was even on course for gold after his attack, then Rapp’s teammate, the defending champion Jason Osborn, who ultimately had to settle for bronze, presented him. In the final sprint, Australia’s Jay Vine passed everyone and won the world title. Kepplinger finished seventh just three seconds behind, Rapp was 33rd this time.
“When my team-mate Martin Maertens and Rainer pulled away, the race was relatively easy for me,” says Rapp, “I then had to watch Rainer torment himself.”
Source: Nachrichten
