Savilia Blunk surprises everyone with a meteoric finish and wins the Lenzerheide Short Track after the first showdown between 32“ and 29”

The XCC Elite World Cup in Lenzerheide kicked off with a women's race that was as fast as it was selective. On a dry circuit and under perfect weather conditions, Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) took a brilliant victory after overtaking Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) on the final lap, while the local favorite, Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), had to settle for third place after leading for much of the race.

Savilia Blunk storms Lenzerheide after defeating Blöchlinger on the final lap

The race started at a very high speed. Puck Pieterse took the initiative from the first corner and immediately increased the pace on a course that combined long dirt tracks, asphalt sections, and several constant climbs leading to the highest point of the circuit before a fast descent to the finish line.

The strong pace caused the group to start stretching from the very first moments, although for a good part of the race, a large selection of favorites remained, formed by Ronja Blöchlinger, Jenny Rissveds, Puck Pieterse, Alessandra Keller, Savilia Blunk, Nicole Koller, and Sina Frei.

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Despite the course being clearly favorable for attacks, the high energy expenditure required for each acceleration meant that no rider decided to launch a serious move during the early laps.

Keller breaks the race

The situation changed on the sixth lap. It was on the main climb of the circuit where Alessandra Keller decided to toughen the race with a powerful attack. The Swiss champion opened a small gap that put two of the big favorites, Jenny Rissveds and Puck Pieterse, in difficulty, relegating them to the back of the group and forcing them to work hard to stay in contact.

Rather than easing off, Keller continued to increase the pressure lap after lap, and the selection became increasingly reduced.

When the race entered the eighth and penultimate lap, only five riders remained at the front: Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing), Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing), Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team), and Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing).

Behind, riders like Rissveds and Pieterse had already lost ground to the main group.

Blöchlinger attacked first, but Blunk sealed the victory

The local fans were expecting another display from Keller, and the Swiss rider increased the pace again as soon as she heard the bell for the final lap.

However, the accumulated effort began to take its toll. Only Ronja Blöchlinger and Savilia Blunk managed to stay on her wheel, while the rest started to lose contact.

It was then that the decisive move came. Blöchlinger launched a powerful attack that definitively broke the group, and only Blunk was able to follow her. Keller, after having carried the weight of the race for several laps, lost a few meters and fell out of the fight for victory.

In the final sprint, Savilia Blunk knew how to wait for the exact moment to launch her final acceleration and surpass Blöchlinger in the decisive meters, thus securing one of the most important victories of her career in the World Cup. Keller crossed the finish line in third place in front of her home crowd.

Top 10 World Cup XCC Lenzerheide Women Elite

1. Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) – 20:27
2. Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) – +0”
3. Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) +4”
4. Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing) +9”
5. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Premier Tech) +23”
6. Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) +25”
7. Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) +32”
8. Anne Terpstra (Lapierre PXR Racing) +40”
9. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) +42”
10. Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek Factory Racing) +45”