The UCI Cycle-ball World Cup made its return to Asia after a year’s absence, and a full five years since Hong Kong last hosted a World Cup event. Two world-class teams battled it out for glory in the 2013 final, with Simon König and Florian Fischer (Höchst/AUT) ultimately getting the better of Dominik Planzer and Roman Schneider (Altdorf/SUI).
While Asia witnessed another European one-two in 2018, the two pairs involved have not been a regular part of the UCI World Cup circuit this season and are not part of the world elite. Denkendorf (Valentin Notheis / Felix Weinert) play in Germany’s second division, where they finished sixth in the South Group, while Swiss U-23 duo Roger Artho and Manuel Mutti (Mosnang) ended the season in fifth place in their country’s second tier.
Nevertheless, both teams dominated their Asian opponents in Hong Kong, recording clear victories in both their preliminary groups and the semi-finals. Denkendorf then beat Mosnang 4-1 (1-0) in the tournament decider.
The match for third place provided a clear opportunity for an Asian side to book their place at the UCI World Cup Finals in Klein-Gerau, Germany, on 19 January 2019. Japanese team Osaka, represented by Yusuke Murakami (first in Group B at the 2016 UCI World Championships) and his partner Yuma Takahashi, defeated home favourites Wing Tai Ho and Chun Hin Kwan (MH2/HKG) 5-1.
2018 UCI Cycle-ball World Cup #5, Krofdorf, Germany > 8 September
Sascha Götz and Luca Wagner of RSV Krofdorf/GER are the rising stars of German cycle-ball. After being promoted to Bundesliga 1, a fifth-place finish in their debut top-flight season earned them a place in both the German Championships finals and the national World Championships qualifiers.
The upcoming 5th round of the UCI World Cup could hardly have come at a better time for Götz and Wagner. The pair coached by former UCI World Champion Thomas Abel have been handed a wildcard to represent the host club at the next World Cup round hosted by their club. Seventh in 2014 and fifth a year later, Götz and Wagner will surely have their sights set on a place in the semi-finals and a top-four finish this time around.