NAIROBI, Sept. 29 -- World champion Lucy Wambui and her Kenyan compatriot Geoffrey Gikuni believe they will withstand the storm and retain the International Hochfelln Mountain Race, the penultimate stop of the 2018 World Cup, in Bergen, Germany on Sunday.

Wambui recently won in the Sierre-Zinal race in Switzerland and will be making her first appearance at this race in Germany.

"It is down to the preparations and training. I believe everyone has entered the race to win, but I have the stamina and endurance to survive the challenge. It is a hard competition and only the strongest survive," Wambui said on Saturday.

At last year's World Championships in Premana, Italy, Wambui won her first world title getting the better of seven-time world champion Andrea Mayr of Austria.

Mayr didn't wait long to get revenge, taking nearly four minutes out of the Kenyan at the Kitzbuheler Horn Race a few weeks later.

The pair will battle it out again at Hochfelln this year, with eight-time winner Mayr looking to avenge her defeat at the 2018 World Championships in Andorra two weeks ago.

"The line-up is always strong each year. The pressure is on the champion to retain the title and I will start the race with that in mind," said Wambui.

The strong women's field also includes Ivana Iozzia of Italy, a two-time winner of the Zermatt Marathon, Challenge Stellina Susa winner Sarah McCormack of Ireland, top Italians Gloria Guidici and Camilla Magliano, 2017 German mountain running champion Sarah Kistner, who has twice finished second in Bergen, and 2016 Sierre-Zinal winner Michelle Maier, currently Germany's top female mountain runner.

【体坛英语资讯：Wambui, Gikuni lead Kenya charge at German Mountain Race】相关文章：

★ 体坛英语资讯：McClaren: Successor will benefit from my flop

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Portman regrets nude scene

★ 体坛英语资讯：Davydenko not worried about betting probe

★ 体坛英语资讯：Draft law seeks to find life after sport

★ 体坛英语资讯：Route of Beijing Olympic torch relay in Dar es Salaam confirmed

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Lily Allen is pregnant

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Matt LeBlanc sued by ex-manager

★ 体坛英语资讯：New faces fill in for absent stars in qualifier

★ 体坛资讯：S. Korea clinches third with penalty in Asian Cup

★ 体坛资讯：China win sixth Sudirman Cup title