Keller triumphs – Albin narrowly beaten
Team Thömus maxon can look back on an extremely successful performance at the Škoda Swiss Bike Cup in Basel. Alessandra Keller celebrated a commanding victory in the women’s race. The team also impressed in the men’s race with a strong team performance: Vital Albin, Lars Forster, and Matthias Flückiger took second, third, and fourth place respectively.
For Alessandra Keller, the race went according to plan. She picked up the pace early on and put her competitors under pressure. By the second lap, only local hero Seraina Leugger was able to keep up. The duo worked well together until Alessandra Keller distanced her last companion in the penultimate lap. The Swiss champion rode to a commanding victory.
Alessandra Keller was extremely satisfied at the finish line. «Although I felt a little tired after a hard and intense week of training, I was able to implement my plan from A to Z. It’s a great feeling to win here in Basel – it gives me confidence for the rest of my World Championship preparations,» explained the winner.
Strong team performance
In the men’s race, a group of 12 riders dominated the action for a long time until Vital Albin and Fabio Püntener managed to break away. The duo worked well together and it soon became clear that the two leaders would not be caught. While Lars Forster and Mathias Flückiger also broke away from the chasing group in the final lap, the battle for victory came down to a sprint finish. Vital Albin lost by just a few centimeters.
«I probably waited a little too long,» Vital Albin analyzed after the race. Despite losing the sprint, Albin drew a very positive conclusion: «I felt good and I’m back in shape after a brief slump. That makes me feel positive and is a good step towards the World Championships.» In the end, the Thömus maxon trio took second to fourth place; Forster took third place in a sprint against Mathias Flückiger.