Kathrin Stirnemann is fighting for her third World Cup victory in a row in Windham (USA), but the Swiss champion cannot beat Jenny Rissveds on this day. The Scandinavian passed Stirnemann on the first short climb, took the lead and opened up a small gap. "Jenny was simply stronger there," says Stirnemann, who nevertheless manages to close the gap to the 20-year-old Scott rider and get into the slipstream again, while behind her the Canadian Cindy Montambault in third and the American Chloe Woodruff in fourth play no role. "The home straight was just too short. I had also shifted into too hard a gear," confessed Stirnemann. But above all she is celebrating the overall victory, which she already has in the bag before the final in Meribel.

"When I came to Canada, I didn't expect this at all. It's really cool," said a delighted Stirnemann, who took over the leader's jersey a week ago in Mont Saint Anne after world champion Alexandra Engen Sweden was absent due to a break from competition.

Wildhaber has to slow down
Marcel Wildhaber narrowly missed out on a place in the men's final. He takes the lead after the start and defends this position over the climb. But on the home straight, European champion Daniel Federspiel (AUT) and World Cup leader Fabrice Mels (BEL) both managed to overtake him. "I came out of the last bend well, but then I touched Federspiel and had to brake briefly, which is why Mels was also able to pass me. I was over the limit in the last few meters," explains Wildhaber. This run cost Wildhaber so much energy that he was no longer able to keep up in the small final. "I wasn't recovered at all," says Wildhaber, who finished eighth.

A position behind him was Andri Frischknecht. The sixth-placed qualifier was narrowly eliminated in the quarter-finals by Sweden's Emil Lindgren after he let his guard down on the home straight. Sepp Freiburghaus is also eliminated in the quarter-finals. He simply didn't have the strength to hold out. Freiburghaus finishes 15th.

In the battle for victory, world championship bronze medallist Catriel Andres Soto (ARG) came out on top for the first time. The fastest qualifier defeated the German Simon Gegenheimer and Fabrice Mels, who will also wear the overall leader's white jersey in Meribel, in a close decision. The overall victory is still completely open.

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