Solid Alessandra Keller finishes in seventh place

The second World Cup weekend in Araxa, Brazil, started with the short track. Alessandra Keller put in a solid race, while the men were unable to make a decisive impression for once. Both races were characterised by high intensity and countless lead changes.

As in the previous week, the women delivered an extremely animated and exciting race with many lead changes. Alessandra Keller was always at the front of the race. Until the sixth of seven laps. The Canadian Jackson opened up a gap and only the world champion Richards (GBR) and the Swede Rissveds were able to follow her attack. After a short merge on the start-finish straight, the world champion attacked again and Koller (CH) countered. At the finish, the order was Richards, ahead of Koller and Rissveds. Alessandra Keller finished nine seconds behind in a solid seventh place.

Keller creates a good starting position for tomorrow

The men’s race was raced in the same way. Many lead changes in an extremely fast race. In the men’s race, too, a small group of four riders only managed to break away from the field on the penultimate lap. A powerful attack by American Blevins opened a small gap to world champion Koretzky (FRA) and the Swiss Schurter on the final climb. And that’s what the men’s podium looked like. For once, the two Thömus maxon riders Lars Forster (23rd) and Mathias Flückiger (DNF) never made a decisive appearance in this tight and extremely fast race.

‘That’s racing,’ says Fabian Giger

Co-team boss Fabian Giger said after the races: ‘Alessandra Keller rode a solid race. She will start from the front row tomorrow. Forster and Flückiger didn’t have the legs to fight at the front today. We had certainly hoped for more after last week’s results, but sometimes things just don’t work out as planned. Now we’re focusing on tomorrow’s race, then everything starts from scratch again.’

Results: XCC Araxa_2