Philipp-Thies Rapp (GER) showed the world a new twist jump on his way to winning the second round of the 2025 Artistic Cycling World Cup, in Langenselbold, Germany. Silver medallist at last year’s UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships, the athlete from RSV Tailfingen demonstrated the new ‘free support scale’ exercise successfully no fewer than five times.
His performance resulted in a personal record result of 210.15 points. Rapp’s trainer Dieter Maute (Tailfingen), who is also the national coach, acknowledged that it had been a “full risk” to try this element at this level of competition. It was a risk that paid off.
It’s still early in the season for Rapp, who is eyeing qualification for November’s UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships and therefore needs to perform well at the German Masters series. His clear goal of not scoring less than 200 points in competition has been achieved at both rounds of the UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup so far: he scored 208.81 points in Prague (Czechia) in March.
Rapp has already proven, with his two top results in the year’s first two UCI World Cup rounds, that he is well able to cope with the pressure of being the favourite. His closest pursuer in Langenselbold, Simon Köcher (RSV Öschelbronn/GER), was almost 40 points behind with 171.01. Elite newcomer Jonas Beiter (RV Trillfingen/GER) didn't have his best day either, but made third with 164.61 points.
Rapp has been considered the new number one since the retirements of multiple UCI World Champion Lukas Kohl (GER) and 2023 UCI World Champion Emilio Arellano (ESP). In order to live up to this role, the UCI World Cup leader’s training includes working on perfecting another new exercise: the somersault exit from the inverted handlebar stand.
With a current success rate of around 50%, it remains to be seen whether Rapp will also have this element – which has only been shown once before at a UCI World Championships, by Frenchman Ivan Do-Duc in 2006 – ready for competition by autumn.
Schnetzer’s return to competition
Meanwhile, there was a surprising comeback from Austrian Marcel Schnetzer, who had retired from competition after the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland (United Kingdom). He is now National Youth Coach, and has been working with the reigning Women Pairs UCI World Champion Antonia Bärk for some time. With a solid 153.59 points, the multiple UCI World Championships bronze medalist in the Mixed Pair competition ranked fifth for his return to the international stage in the Single category.
Mixed Pairs: Rödiger and Styber on form
In the Mixed Pairs, the local heroes Nico Rödiger and Lea-Victoria Styber (RSV Langenselbold/GER) continued their winning streak. The UCI World Champions won with 151.64 points ahead of 2024 UCI World Championships silver medallists Niklas Kreuzmann and Celine Stapf (RV Adler Soden/GER - 105.87). Without further competition, the Belgian duo Jelle Delporte and Lien Pattyn (WC Arnold Standaert Wondelgem - 50.20) finished third on a UCI World Cup podium for the first time.
Women Pairs: UCI World Champions show class
There was another German triple triumph in the Women Pairs event. The UCI World Champions Henny Kirst and Antonia Bärk (RSF Bonn-Duisdorf) lived up to their role as favourites with 138.90 points. Their training partners Kim Schlüter and Neele Jodeleit (RSV Knetterheide - 114.50) secured second place ahead of UCI World Cup newcomers Annika Feldkämper and Anais Lindenberg (RC Mülheim - 102.44). All three pairs come from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The Swiss pair of Larissa Tanner and Simona Lucca (Dürnten/ Stäfa - 101.16), who were seeded third, just missed the podium.
Act4: the closest margin
The Act4 competition in Langenselbold was incredibly close. Not even half a point separated the German winners Tijem Karatas, Milena Schwarz, Stella Rosenbach and Annika Rosenbach from Mainz-Ebersheim (225.43 points) from the second-placed Swiss quartet of Stefanie Haas, Valerie Unternährer, Selina Niedermann and Sarah Manser, from Uzwil (224.95). Third place went to Germany’s RMSV Aach team (211.67).
Women Single: Dandl claims top spot
UCI World Champion Lara Füller (RKV Poppenweiler/GER) suffered a defeat as costly mistakes left her ranked fourth with 178.28 points. The day's Women Single victory was secured by the 2023 UCI World Champion, Ramona Dandl (RKB Solidarity Bruckmühl - 189.24), ahead of her club colleague and 2022 UCI World Champion, Jana Pfann (187.88). The Swiss Alessa Hotz (Kunstrad Baar) enjoyed a surprisingly strong performance. The two-time UCI World Championships bronze medallist took third place.
The third round of the 2025 UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup will take place on 23 August in Puteaux, France.