Konychev triumphs: Team Vorarlberg conquers Wels in the cherry blossom race

Konychev triumphs: Team Vorarlberg conquers Wels in the cherry blossom race

On April 27, 2025, the 64th International Cherry Blossom Race took place in Wels, Upper Austria. At this prestigious event, Alexander Konychev from Team Vorarlberg secured an impressive victory. After a race distance of around 170 kilometers and a race duration of just under four hours, Konychev broke away with a decisive attack around 10 kilometers from the finish that secured him first place.

Jon Knolle from Team Rembe-Rad-net took second place, seven seconds behind, while Fabian Steininger from WSA-KTM Graz came third. The Vorarlberg team was strong overall, with Emanuel Zangerle in sixth place and Jannis Peter in seventh place.

Team achievements and overall leadership

Thanks to Konychev's victory, Team Vorarlberg takes the lead in the individual and team rankings of the Cycling League Austria. In addition to Konychev, the team's entire squad also included Emanuel Zangerle, Daniel Geismayr, Colin Stüssi, Felix Stehli, Jannis Peter, Dominik Amann, Liam Crowley, Laurin Nenning and Kilian Feurstein. After the race, Konychev expressed his gratitude to his team and emphasized that they always controlled what was happening in the race.

A leading group formed early in the race, which also included Kilian Feurstein. Further attacks came from Daniel Geismayr and Felix Stehli before Konychev made the decisive advance. This tactical finesse ultimately led to a clear victory and gave the team valuable points in the overall standings.

Cycling in 2020 and beyond

While the Cherry Blossom Race represents an important stage within the cycling season, looking back at the 2020 season is a reminder of the dramatic changes in the sporting landscape. The corona pandemic had a major impact on the racing calendar and led to numerous scheduling conflicts. This year there were 104 cycling races in just 100 days, which meant intense competition and a variety of challenges for the athletes.

The 2020 season highlighted a generational change in cycling, with many young talents challenging the top performers of the older generation. Tadej Pogačar and Wout van Aert were among the winners of the important cycling races of that time. The dynamics within the teams have also changed, with some teams such as UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma enjoying outstanding success.

The rise of Alexander Konychev and his Vorarlberg team is a new chapter in this exciting sport, which shows that there is a lot of potential and lots of exciting racing action waiting in the current cycling season.