Cycling: The last World Cup of the season also meant the last World Cup of the Eliminator discipline. While Kathrin Stirnemann was already the overall winner, they caught up Linda Indergand and Fabrice Mels the victory in Meribel. Fabrice Mels thus also secured overall victory.
The eliminator discipline, which is still so young, will come to an abrupt World Cup end after this weekend. A few weeks ago it was announced that the discipline would be removed from the World Cup program, but that a World Championship would still be held. Thus, the sprinters were at the start for the penultimate time this season and fought for every single centimetre.
Kathrin Stirnemann already secured the overall victory in the women's category two weeks ago in Windham and was therefore able to relax and look forward to the final. In the men's category, Fabrice Mels was a favorite for overall victory. The Belgian drove a strong season and was able to prove himself several times in the final.
He also had a great race in Meribel. The Frenchman Kevin Miquel surprised in qualifying with the fastest time and was also able to deliver a consistently good performance in his final runs. Like his previous races, he led the men's grand final from the start. But this energy-sapping strategy was to be his undoing. On the home straight, it was Mels and Simon Gegenheimer who passed him and settled for victory among themselves. In the end, Mels prevailed against the man from Baden-Württemberg and thus secured the overall World Cup victory. Fourth was the Mexican Catriel Soto.
Linda Indergand triumphed for the first time in the women. In the final she prevailed against Kathrin Stirnemann, Boe Jacobsen and Jenny Rissveds. Idergand qualified as the fastest and left no doubt about her performance in the final either. With Stirnemann on the rear wheel, she clinched a lights-to-flag victory. Rissveds was third until a fatal chain jammed and finally finished fourth.
The replay of the final runs can be found HERE.