Stirnemann gilds medal blessing | Ride MTB

Stirnemann gilds medal blessing

Kathrin Stirnemann celebrates her first European Championship gold medal in the Eliminator in St. Wendel. Linda Indergand takes silver ahead of world champion Alexandra Engen. In the men's event, Ralph Näf surprisingly takes the silver medal behind defending champion Daniel Federspiel.

Kathrin Stirnemann is able to take advantage of a favorable constellation in the final. The leader Alexandra Engen (SWE) tactics, lets her legs down briefly to let a rider past, but because Linda Indergand rides a super maneuver, the world champion suddenly finds herself in third position and is also briefly passed there by defending champion Jenny Rissveds (SWE). The gap for the two Swiss skiers is there, Stirnemann realizes and pulls away. She is no longer in danger on the home straight, the lead is already too big, because by the time Engen passes Rissveds again, the Swiss already have a sufficient advantage.

Kathrin Stirnemann: "I actually didn't have good legs this morning and I didn't feel good in qualifying. That's why I'm now over the moon that I've won the first title of my career. The semi-final against Jolanda Neff and Alexandra Engen was perhaps the hardest, it was very close." Linda Indergand: "I saw the gap and thought there was nowhere else to go. I took the full risk and had the necessary luck. When I heard that there was a gap, I went for it. After World Championship bronze at the end of the 2013 season, this is now my first silver medal in the sprint. I am very happy." Jolanda Neff wins the small final and finishes fifth, Ramona Forchini finishes seventh to complete a strong performance by the Swiss women.

In the men's race, the Swiss Eliminator champion Marcel Wildhaber or Patrick Lüthi, who came third in Albstadt, were more likely to win. But Wildhaber's chain broke in the quarter-finals and Lüthi was knocked out of the race in a photo finish, also in the quarter-finals. So it is 2012 World Champion Ralph Näf who finishes on the podium for Switzerland in his first international sprint appearance this year. The 33-year-old does it with all his routine and excellent riding technique. He manages overtaking maneuvers in a bend like no other rider. In the final, he also passes Belgian Fabrice Mels in this way to take silver.

Daniel Federspiel (AUT) is unstoppable at the top and takes his second European title after Bern last year. Ralph Näf outpaces Mels and takes silver, Dutchman Jeroen van Eck finishes fourth.

Ralph Näf: "I had tired legs, so I couldn't keep up at the start. I knew that a lot was possible if I made it to the final, but Feder was clearly stronger today. I also used my riding technique for overtaking maneuvers in every run. I'm over the moon with silver, it's satisfying for me because it shows that my world title in 2012 was no fluke. If it's an appropriate track, I can still keep up."

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Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.