Ready for the World Championships
At the World Cup in Les Gets, France—the final rehearsal for the upcoming World Championships in Val di Sole—the Thömus maxon MTB team delivered again a very strong and cohesive team performance. With strong finishes by Alessandra Keller, Mathias Flückiger, and Monique Halter, the team demonstrated that it is on track for the World Championships.
In the women’s race, Alessandra Keller fought her way to an outstanding fourth-place finish after a thrilling race. The XCC World Champion got off to a perfect start and kept up with the extremely fast early pace. For long stretches, she engaged in an intense battle for the podium spots with Sina Frei, Jenny Rissveds, and Savilia Blunk, though Keller had to let her three rivals pull away on the final lap. Keller gave a positive assessment of her fourth-place finish: “I had a good start. The pace was extremely fast right from the start, and I felt especially good on the downhills, while I struggled a bit on the climbs. Fourth place is the best I could do. And that’s why I’m satisfied. I’m on the right track for the World Championships.” Sina Frei won the womens race.
Flückiger: “A good sign!”
In the men’s race, Mathias Flückiger also delivered a remarkable performance. After a solid start, he steadily worked his way up the field, position by position, until he broke through to the front of a group of five just before the halfway point. When the pace picked up again, he lost touch with the absolute leaders, but fought his way to a strong sixth-place finish. “I’m happy with sixth place,” Flückiger said after the race. “Maybe I was a little fresher on Friday and a little more in ‘battle mode.’ But I’m taking today’s race with a smile—it’s a good sign, and I hope I can move up a bit further in Val di Sole.” In the men’s race, Adrien Boichis won ahead of Mathieu van der Poel and Martin Vidaurre.
The team’s strong performances was rounded out by other impressive rides. Vital Albin put in a determined effort but couldn’t quite match his top performance from Friday and finished the race in 22nd place. Lars Forster, starting from far back, couldn’t find his rhythm and withdrew from the race early.
Monique Halter also in World Championship form
Meanwhile, the young U23 rider Monique Halter made another strong impression in her second race for Thömus maxon: Following her outstanding second-place finish in the Short Track, she also delivered a strong performance in the XCO race, finishing in an excellent fourth place.