Colombian biker Leon wins UCI marathon championship

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Hector Leonardo Paez Leon from Colombia won the men's race in the UCI 2020 Mountain Bike Marathon Championships on Sunday.

Leon, 37, won the elite men's race for a second straight year in 4 hours, 19 minutes and 50 seconds. It was held in Turkey's northwestern Sakarya province.

Portugal's Tiago Ferreira trailed two minutes and 20 seconds behind him, while Martin Stosek from Czech Republic finished in the third place with two minutes and 35 seconds behind Leon.

Meanwhile, Swiss racing cyclist Ramona Forchini clinched the elite women's race; Poland's Maja Wloszczowska completed in the second spot, while Swiss biker Ariene Luthi came third.

This year’s event was held under the auspices of the Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey, with the presence of several former winners and medalists. More than 100 athletes from 30 nations participated.