In the article you will read:
- Summary of the 17th year
- Which news succeeded
- Comments from competitors
The third Sunday of May belonged again to the cycling event in Seredi. The traditional DHL Sereďmarathon and children's Sereďmarathon took place there. Both events broke the record number of participants this year and were sold out.
Summary of the 17th year
The organizers were very pleased with the number of participants. The limit of competitors for this year was set for the DHL Sereďmaratón 350 and the children's Sereďmaratónik 250. "Both events were sold out. In addition to the official limit, a few dozen over-limit places were also reserved for partners. The distribution of packages took place on Saturday and Sunday without restrictions, which had positive responses. So our plans have come true," Barbora Javorová, the registration coordinator, described the process.
According to race director Lukáš Riha, the plans were also fulfilled: "We entered the 17th year with several modifications and improvements to ensure the smooth running of the race and the cyclists had the best possible conditions. From road preparation, to registration, rest after the race to evaluation. It took time again, but the result was worth it. There were also positive responses from the partners who came to watch the event. It means good news for the marathon in the future."
The first kilometers were calm, occasionally cyclists tried to escape, but until the middle of the race the peloton held more or less together.
The rider of the home club ŠK Cyklo-Tour Sereď Ondrej Macaj also tried to escape several times. Although he was about half a minute behind the peloton, the other riders did not show much interest in escaping. It started before Hlohovac.
These innovations were a success
The race has maintained its level in recent years, but despite this, the organizers are trying to come up with something new. Among the biggest attractions was the LED screen on which the situation from the race was projected. Spectators during the children's race could thus enjoy the atmosphere of the track. "This year, we tried the transmission from the track to the square, and in the future we are interested in sharing this transmission with the public online," explained service coordinator Tomáš Poláček.
Other news, or expanded from previous years, were a larger Relax zone, a new catering company, a drinking regime in several places on the square, an expanded number of toilet cells, online registration for children's races and more. "We want to maintain these services in 2024, and we also plan to prepare others for cyclists. We will gradually introduce them at the beginning of next year," Tomáš Poláček introduced the development.
Racing through the eyes of the winners
Cyclists from clubs such as Dukla Banská Bystrica also appeared among the competitors, who came to train a little before the planned events in their free time. In addition to Lukáš Kubiš and Martin Chren, there was also Pavol Rovden, who became the overall winner after the final escape. Among the women, Janka Kesek Števková, or competitors from the WLRM and Dukla Bratislava team, dominated.
Overall winner and U25 winner Pavol Rovden
I felt good from the start. I liked the race track, there were both hills and flats. The race surprised me with a high level of organization and a very pleasant atmosphere. In the future, if I have a free schedule, I will definitely be happy to participate again. Thank you for the opportunity to start.
Najlepšia žena a víťazka bodovacej súťaže Janka Kesek Števková
Winning such an event is difficult. You have to eliminate all pitfalls of the track such as defects, falls or partial traffic restrictions. I am glad that I succeeded at my first start, because I am not a regular and typical participant in road cycling marathons where more than 350 cyclists started. I tried to ride sensibly and especially safely, to use all my experience and knowledge in cycling for 26 years of active riding. Events of this type are intended for performance-oriented cyclists, where they have space to compare themselves in their age categories. I was pleased with the reward at the finish line for the overall victory, material prizes and rewards for the mountain and speed premium. If I am in adequate shape and healthy, I would like to come back to this event in another year. A bonus event, a children's race - Sereďmaratónik, filled the program for my daughter Hanka, so we spent a nice sunny Sunday in Seredi as a family together with friends. A bonus was the raffle, in which you can win even if you are not the first to finish. I don't normally ride the Sereď marathon route, after all, it is further from my place of residence. It sounds incredible, but this is the first time I have cycled through this region.
More foto in GALLERY.
