A Sunday to forget
World Cup Sunday in Lenzerheide turned out to be a disappointment for Thömus maxon. While Alessandra Keller had no chance of a top finish after an early crash, the men were also unable to step up to the plate. Nevertheless, the team is taking away many positives from Lenzerheide: Alessandra Keller’s third-place finish in the XCC and the successful debut of the 32-inch bike will be remembered.
The women’s race got off to the worst possible start for Thömus maxon. Swiss champion Alessandra Keller took a hard fall on the first descent and lost a lot of time. By the time Keller was able to rejoin the race, she had dropped to 45th place.
However, Keller once again demonstrated her tremendous fighting spirit and launched an impressive comeback. Lap after lap, she made up ground and at one point fought her way into the top 15. On the final lap, Keller began to feel the strain of her efforts. She lost a few more positions and ultimately crossed the finish line in a disappointing 19th place.
No one can step up to the plate
For the men, too, practically nothing went right this Sunday. None of the three Thömus-maxon riders was able to deliver the expected performance. In addition to the sporting difficulties, technical problems and mechanical failures took their toll on the riders’ morale, resulting in finishes outside the top 30.
Näf: “That’s part of the sports”
Team manager Ralph Näf summed it up: “We had a great week, but in terms of results, today was a day to put behind us. That’s part of elite sports. Last year, we won here with Alessandra. Today, we were far from that. But it’s precisely on days like these that the athletes—and we as a team—continue to develop.”
Despite the disappointing results, the team is taking many positive impressions back from Lenzerheide. As early as Friday, Alessandra Keller made a strong statement with a third-place finish in the Short Track, securing a podium spot in front of her home crowd. At the same time, the debut of the 32-inch bike provided valuable insights and confirmed the great potential of this innovative project.
Grateful for the home race and looking ahead
The World Cup in Lenzerheide was once again a fantastic mountain biking festival. Thousands of fans created an impressive atmosphere along the course, turning the home race into a special experience and an indispensable platform for Swiss MTB sports. Even though Sunday’s results didn’t meet expectations, Thömus maxon is looking ahead to the upcoming races with confidence. In two weeks, the new World Cup stop in La Thuile, in Italy’s Aosta Valley, is on the schedule.