Hanka Kupfernagel (born 19 March 1974 in
Gera,
Bezirk Gera) is a retired German professional cycle racer. During most of her career her primary focus was
cyclo-cross racing, however, she has also won major road, track and mountain bike races. She has won seven consecutive medals at the
UCI Women's Cyclo-cross World Championships, including three gold medals for 2000, 2001 and 2005; two silver medals in 2002 and 2003; and the bronze medal in 2004. Her major career victories also include a gold medal in the individual time trial competition at the
2007 UCI Road World Championships in
Stuttgart and a silver medal in the road race at the
2000 Summer Olympics in
Sydney.
She finished 1st in the year-end
UCI world class rankings in 1997 and 1999 winning the 1999
La Flèche Wallonne Féminine in the process. Kupfernagel captured the
Emakumeen Bira cyclo-cross race three consecutive years from 1997 to 1999.
In 2008, she had a very strong cyclo-cross season, winning two
World Cup races and even though she finished at second place for six times, she had enough point to claim the overall World Cup title. She seemed to be the favourite for the women's race at the
2009 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in
Hoogerheide, she was not able to defend her title as
Marianne Vos beat her during a sprint finish and left her with the silver medal.
Kupfernagel officially retired in 2016.[1] After three and a half years out of competition she participated in the German cyclo-cross championship 2019 at the age of 44 finishing the race in the second place.[2]
Hanka Kupfernagel (born 19 March 1974 in
Gera,
Bezirk Gera) is a retired German professional cycle racer. During most of her career her primary focus was
cyclo-cross racing, however, she has also won major road, track and mountain bike races. She has won seven consecutive medals at the
UCI Women's Cyclo-cross World Championships, including three gold medals for 2000, 2001 and 2005; two silver medals in 2002 and 2003; and the bronze medal in 2004. Her major career victories also include a gold medal in the individual time trial competition at the
2007 UCI Road World Championships in
Stuttgart and a silver medal in the road race at the
2000 Summer Olympics in
Sydney.
She finished 1st in the year-end
UCI world class rankings in 1997 and 1999 winning the 1999
La Flèche Wallonne Féminine in the process. Kupfernagel captured the
Emakumeen Bira cyclo-cross race three consecutive years from 1997 to 1999.
In 2008, she had a very strong cyclo-cross season, winning two
World Cup races and even though she finished at second place for six times, she had enough point to claim the overall World Cup title. She seemed to be the favourite for the women's race at the
2009 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in
Hoogerheide, she was not able to defend her title as
Marianne Vos beat her during a sprint finish and left her with the silver medal.
Kupfernagel officially retired in 2016.[1] After three and a half years out of competition she participated in the German cyclo-cross championship 2019 at the age of 44 finishing the race in the second place.[2]