Track cycling: Stefan Bötticher secured the gold medal in the last race of the European Track Cycling Championships in Glasgow. The German triumphed in the men's keirin final and thus ensured a successful conclusion. Previously, the German-speaking athletes went away empty-handed on the last day of the European Track Cycling Championships.
Stefan Bötticher succeeds Maximilian Levy
As in the previous year, the BDR also secured gold in the men's keirin at the EM 2018. In an exciting race in the last competition of this European Track Cycling Championships in Glasgow Stefan Boetticher grab the gold medal. It was extremely close, because the photo finish had to decide in the semi-finals beforehand which professionals were allowed to take part in the final round. Among other things, Joachim Eilers surprisingly dropped out, who was then able to easily take seventh place in the small final. But the focus was of course on the grand finale. Here, too, the German professional was in front in the end. Everything went according to plan for Stefan Bötticher. In the last corner he swerved to the outside and used the excess speed to drive past the two leaders. Stefan Bötticher thus crowns himself as the successor to the missing Maximilian Levy. He also now has the Glasgow medal set complete.
Germany ranks #3 in the medal table
With Stefan Bötticher's victory, the European Track Cycling Championships came to a positive conclusion for the BDR. Despite the absence of Kristina Vogel and Maximilian Levy, three gold medals and four silver and bronze medals were won. With a total of eleven medals won, Germany is in third place behind the Netherlands and Great Britain. In addition to Stefan Bötticher's gold ride, it was not enough to win another medal on the last day of the competition. However, the Swiss could almost have used the elimination run of the men. Loic Perizzolo however – as in the previous year – dropped out in fourth place. Gold went to Britain's Matthew Walls, who drove from the front for much of the race and was therefore more than deservedly crowned the winner. In the women's category, Mathilde Gros from France triumphed in the keirin. There was a surprise to marvel at in the Madison. The Dutch women only won bronze, while the British went straight away empty-handed. The Danes secured gold ahead of the Russians.
Stefan Bötticher is the new Men's Keirin European Champion 🇩🇪
Sebastien Vigier takes the silver with Glasgow's own Jack Carlin in the bronze medal position # EC2018 #TheMoment pic.twitter.com/OQqmPlmNt9
— Euro Champs (@Euro_Champs) August 7, 2018