MTB cycling: Next Sunday the entire XCO world elite will meet in Albstadt to exchange blows. The only XCO UCI Mountain Bike World Cup on German soil is not only about World Cup points, but also about starting places for the Olympic Games in Rio. It couldn't be any tighter, Tuesday is the deadline for the Olympic qualification!
The UCI World Ranking, which defines how many athletes from each nation are allowed to compete in Rio, will be published next Wednesday. One thing is clear: the final decisions will therefore be made in Albstadt! For the German men there is still legitimate hope of a third starting place at the Olympic Games, but they would have to score 277 points more than the drivers from the Czech Republic for the coveted ticket. Definitely not an easy task! The Swiss have already secured their three tickets, but are plagued by other problems: the Swiss simply have too many good drivers! Eight Swiss drivers are in the top 20, so the question remains: Which two drivers will join Nino Schurter?
The German women have also already secured their three tickets for Rio. Things are going very well this year for 45-year-old Sabine Spitz, who will be taking part in the Olympic Games in Rio for the last time as an active athlete. In Cairns she achieved a sensational fifth place, in front of her home crowd she might even be able to do better. 24-year-old Helen Grobert, who is aiming for a top 10 result in Albstadt, is also thrilled with excellent performances. So fingers crossed here too! Both the women's and men's finals will be streamed live on Red Bull TV (www.redbull.tv) transfer. Definitely worth turning on!
Schedule XCO UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Albstadt
Friday May 20th
- 09:00 - 10:30: XCO Training - Women
- 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: XCO Training – Open to all riders
- 12:00 – 13:30 p.m.: XCO Training – Men
Saturday, May 21
- 09:00 - 10:00: XCO Training - Women
- 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.: XCO Training – Open to all riders
- 11:00 – 12:00 p.m.: XCO Training – Men
- 10:00 a.m. – 14:00 p.m.: Gonso-MTB Classic short marathon 23/46 km, DM “doctors and pharmacists”
- 13:00 p.m.: World Cup Olympic Cross-country – Women U23
- 15:00 p.m.: World Series Juniors, w
- 16:30 p.m.: World Series Juniors, m
- 18:30 p.m.: Retro Race
- 19:00 p.m.: World Cup party in the tent
Sunday May 22th
- 09:00: World Cup Olympic Cross-country – Men U23
- 11:20 am: World Cup Olympic Cross-country – Women Elite
- 14:20 p.m.: World Cup Olympic Cross-country – Men Elite