Mountain Bike World Championships

After a fine summer, Höll chases World Championship gold again

Valentina Höll is aiming to defend her title in Andorra.(Bild: GEPA pictures/Harald Steiner)

Vali Höll wants to win another gold medal at the Mountain Bike World Championships. The course in Andorra will benefit the 22-year-old. She spent the previous summer break training and hiking.

The summer break is over and the racing action is back! After a restful few weeks, the downhill elite are attacking at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Andorra. Two-time overall World Cup winner and reigning world champion Valentina Höll wants to claim the gold medal again in Pal Arinsal: "I've done everything I can to make sure I'm as well prepared as possible. You can't influence what happens in the end." Because the two-time winner of the season has numerous chasers behind her: "There are a bunch of girls at the start who have a chance." In addition to the Leogang native, Tahnee Seagrave, Camille Balanche, Marine Cabirou and her good friend Nina Hoffmann are also among the favorites.

The Salzburg native made friends with the course in Andorra a long time ago. She won the qualifiers there last year and came second in the final. "I feel really comfortable on the course and hope that the weather holds up reasonably well for us."

In qualifying on Thursday, she finished in second place.

Höll should be well rested and in shape. Since the last race on July 6 in Les Gets (Fra), where Vali finished fifth, she has been training a lot and enjoying the summer. "I haven't trained much on the bike because it was good to get away from it and do other things," she told the "Krone" newspaper. The 22-year-old was able to pursue activities for which there is otherwise no time: "Going hiking and things like that. It was definitely really nice and something I haven't had for a long time."