6 hours, 48 minutes, and 56 seconds. That’s what it took — then he did it: Daniel Federspiel wins the 44th Ötztaler Cycle Marathon, making history not only for himself but also for the Pushbikers.
227 kilometers and 5,500 meters of climbing. At the infamous Timmelsjoch, just 32 kilometers from the finish line, Daniel reeled in the defending champion and race leader, Jack Burke — and passed him without hesitation. On the livestream, Anton Palzer’s voice rings out: ‘I’m calling it. We’ve just seen the winner of the 2025 Ötztaler.
Nearly 20,000 kilometers of training, 800 hours invested. ‘I’d say we’re ready,’ said Daniel ahead of the decisive weekend. Then comes that unmistakable Federspiel laugh — the same one we’d see on his face at 6 a.m. on the start line. He’s relaxed, well-prepared, focused. Equipped with an ultra-light Argon 18 Sum Pro — weighing just 6.2 kilograms — built specifically for Daniel and his performance at the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon.
At his side: 35 athletes from the Pushbikers community, all sharing in the dream. Maybe not to win — but to take on the challenge of four Alpine passes in a single loop. At 6:30 a.m., the race begins. The temperature: a crisp 7 degrees Celsius.
By 8:10 a.m., the first climb is conquered. Pushbiker Federspiel increased the pace in the final kilometers of the Kühtai, helping to shrink the gap between the 15-man chase group and the two leaders up front. At the Brenner Pass, he remains in the chase group with all the favorites, including defending champion Jack Burke, Johnny Hoogerland, and Alban Lakata. On the Jaufen Pass, Burke attacks and takes the lead. 77 kilometers remain to the finish.
At 10:40, Eurosport headlines: ‘Federspiel turns up the heat.’ With 44 kilometers to go, the race behind Jack Burke intensifies: Daniel closes the gap to the three-man chase group — and immediately attacks again. Riding at high speed, he climbs the Timmelsjoch in second place. Step by step, he gains on Jack Burke. Seven kilometers from the highest point of the Timmelsjoch, Daniel is just one minute behind him. Then, at 12:25, the sensation: Daniel catches the leader and passes him.
At this moment, messages are flooding the Pushbikers WhatsApp group — and not only commentator Toni Palzer, but all of us know: he’s going to make it. A Pushbikers victory at the Ötztaler is just ahead.
He spent 19 years on mountain bikes, four years as a professional road cyclist, and since this year, mainly rides with the Pushbikers on a gravel bike. Alongside his two MTB Eliminator World Championship titles, this is the crowning achievement for Daniel.
In the final kilometers, Daniel steadily extended his lead before crossing the finish line at 1:20 p.m. amid roaring cheers. Jubilant, yet visibly moved, we saw him in that moment. A few minutes later, he reflected at the microphone: ‘At the Jaufen Pass, I rode my own pace. Maybe that was a good thing, because at the Timmelsjoch I was able to really push hard.’ It’s one of the greatest race victories in Pushbikers history — filled with heart, pain, and incredible determination.
And another Pushbiker felt like a winner that day. Last year, the Pushbikers community feared he wouldn’t make it before the broom wagon. In the darkness, Georg Bauer still reached the finish line after more than 13 hours. This past Sunday, he set a new personal best: 11 hours and 20 minutes.
Photos — by Paul Bohnert