🇪🇺 UEC MTB European Championships - XCO
🇨🇭 Monteceneri, Switzerland
The elite women close out the racing program, setting up a clash between world champion Jenny Rissveds, Sina Frei, Alessandra Keller, and Evie Richards. The Swiss national team lines up with a massive squad, boosted by home-soil advantage.
Right from the gun, Ronja Blöchlinger gains ground and is joined by Rissveds. By the next lap, Rissveds launches a solo attack while Blöchlinger is caught by Frei. The dynamic shifts after 20 minutes when a puncture forces Rissveds into the tech zone, wiping out her advantage.
Rissveds holds Frei's pace while Blöchlinger drops back, eventually passed by Keller, who bridges to the front duo at the midway mark.
Yet Frei's dominance is undeniable. Setting a relentless pace, she distances the world champion, and with two laps to go, even Keller is forced to let the Specialized Factory rider slip away!
Sina Frei claims an emphatic victory in Monteceneri. With less than a month to the World Championships, she is a serious contender for Val di Sole, where she claimed the XCC world title back in 2021! This win completes her continental set. Alessandra Keller finishes second for another Swiss 1-2, while Jenny Rissveds completes the podium ahead of Nicole Koller and Evie Richards. Switzerland places five riders inside the Top 10!