MTB News: Despite the changeable weather with downpours, around 15.000 visitors turned the Bullental into a cauldron over the three days of the Mountain Bike World Cup in Albstadt. The seventh edition of the spectacle on the Swabian Alb won the world champion Kate Courtney from the USA and the Swiss Mathias Flückiger.
Kate Courtney was extremely strong over the weekend. Already on Friday, the 24-year-old American won the short track against the two Swiss riders Jolanda Neff and Kathrin Stirnemann. In the men's short track, an exciting affair developed on the nine 1,2-kilometer laps. Mathieu van der Poel, who fell far behind at the beginning due to the poorly started Italian Gerhard Kerschbaumer, attacked in the seventh lap with a massive acceleration and then left the leading Scott - Sram MTB Racing Team riders Lars Forster and Nino Schurter behind.
Kate Courtney took advantage of the women's XCO race on Sunday for her second win of the weekend. At the beginning you could see the quick starter Jolanda Neff for a short time, but Kate Courtney quickly counterattacked. Already on the 2,8 kilometer start lap she had a lead of 13 seconds over Neff. Even a fall couldn't deprive the American of her first World Cup victory in the Olympic cross-country discipline. Jolanda Neff was second, with Yana Belomoina of Ukraine third. In the U23, local hero Ronja Eibl just missed out on victory behind Austrian Laura Stigger.
Shortly after the start of the men's XCO, it began to rain in Albstadt. The Swiss Nino Schurter and Lars Forster managed to create a gap on the opening lap, but the increasing rain changed the picture. Mathias Flückiger, who had a bad start, caught up with the chasing group and pushed forward. Flückiger was then able to further reduce the gap to his two compatriots on the mountain. While Forster had problems, fell twice and then had to go into the technical zone, Flückiger took the lead and drove towards his second World Cup victory. The pace was too high for Nino Schurter, who ended up sixth. Only Frenchman Jordan Sarrou was able to follow the Swiss until the penultimate lap, but was then intercepted by Mathieu van der Poel in the final lap.
