Keller and Albin impress in Short Track
At the Short Track World Cup in the high-altitude resort of Pal Arinsal (Andorra), Alessandra Keller (5th place) and Vital Albin (8th place) delivered strong performances. On the challenging course, the Thömus-maxon duo secured one of the coveted front-row starting spots for Sunday’s cross-country race.
Alessandra Keller once again demonstrated her consistency and class among the world’s best. She rode in the lead group from the start and battled for a podium spot right up to the final lap. In a thrilling finish sprint, she was narrowly defeated. Just four seconds behind the winner, Jenny Rissveds, she crossed the finish line in an strong fifth place. This puts her in an ideal position for Sunday’s main race. Despite her strong race, the XCC world champion was self-critical: “I was in the top mix, but not on the top. Still, it’s a good starting point for Sunday.”
Season-best performance for Vital Albin in the thin mountain air
Vital Albin delivered an absolutely compelling and tactically masterful performance in the men’s race. In Andorra’s thin air, he paced himself perfectly: He steadily worked his way up the field, one position at a time, without overexerting himself at the extreme altitude. In a thrilling final lap, Albin tapped into his last reserves, made it into the top 8, and celebrated his well-deserved best result of the season. Like Keller, he’ll also start from the front row on Sunday.
Shortly after crossing the finish line, Vital Albin was overjoyed: “Finishing 8th here in the Short Track is fantastic. I felt really good today and I’m thrilled that I’ll be able to start from the front row in XCO.”
Setback for Flückiger and Forster
Things didn’t go quite as planned for the team’s two veterans, Mathias Flückiger and Lars Forster. They had to settle for 31st (Flückiger) and 36th (Forster). Both will try to make their way up through the field from further back on Sunday.