Established race track venues and contagious spectator energy isn't built overnight. It takes years of recurring and consecutive visits on the calendar and countless fans, frits, and beer that deliver an experience that is always one to remember. Albsdadt, Germany, in its infancy, would have otherwise been known as the least exciting venue on the UCI Cross Country Mountain Bike World Cup circuit, but gone and long forgotten are those days. Welcome to Germany, 2022!
In Albsdadt, Germany, the race venue is quickly becoming a historic stop on the cross country World Cup circuit. With its steep climbs, fast short descents, and long straightaway through the start-finish area, it's become a race for the tactician. It often delivers some shuffling of the riders early on before a selection of riders breaks free from the depth of competitive men's and women's fields.
Jenn Jackson was off to a strong start and spent most of her laps riding between 15-20th, going toe-to-toe on the uphills and downhills. She faded on lap four after three blistering fast laps near the front and was able to turn things around for the final lap, which saw her match her opening lap times to finish 26th place.
After a long break from World Cup Racing, Emily Batty had her work cut out for her starting in position 57. Battling traffic, she lost some time in the opening laps only to find her rhythm from lap three onward, turning solid and consistent lap times to finish 43rd place.
Laurie Arseneault rode strong early in the race and slightly faded towards the late half of the event. She battled most of the race within the 50s and slowly faded from lap three onward to finish 63rd place.
You can watch the replay here and catch all the action from this weekend's event on Red Bull TV. The team is into a good rhythm in Europe and excited for the third round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Czech this weekend. Stay tuned for more!
