Cycling: As a mountain biker! Austrian writes history at Straßenrad-WM

Laura Stigger is a phenomenon on two wheels. A few weeks after winning her second Junior World Championship title with her mountain bike, the Tyrolean triumphed sensationally on Thursday at the Road World Championships in Innsbruck on a racing bike. The 18-year-old won her second sprint race ahead of Marie le Net from France and Simone Boilard from Canada.

Because of her physical potential and the 71.7 km distance with two climbs, Stigger was believed to have a top place. But the Ötztaler also surprised the experts with her callousness and tactical behaviour in this unusual sport. “I didn’t expect that at all. I just wanted to have fun, to win is unbelievable”, explained the student of the BORG Innsbruck.

According to her trainer Rupert Scheiber, the local heroine still had heavy legs in the first climb to Gnadenwald after health problems in the run-up. But she always kept in front and waited with her attack until the steepest part of the final climb towards Igls. There she blew up the group of about 25 riders with her start. Only Boilard and the Italian Barbara Malcotti went along.

“I knew this was my play, I stepped on the gas there. The fact that two came with us was ideal,” said Stigger. She was less pleased that Le Net opened up later. But in the four-man sprint, the inexperienced won the day.

“My legs were burning, I closed my eyes and just kicked,” Stigger described the decisive phase. Minutes later she was standing on the podium with the rainbow jersey as an outward sign of winning the title and tears in her eyes.

Her coach Scheiber remained on the ground despite all the euphoria. One had to leave the church in the village, said the Ötztaler, who had drawn up a battle plan with Stigger. The teenage girl turned it around perfectly. Scheiber: “She’s a racing pig.” Stigger won the second youngster gold medal in road racing for the ÖRV after Felix Gall from East Tyrol in the 2015 juniors competition.

Stigger will decide later whether she will stay with her love for mountain biking or switch to the road bike. “At some point you have to make up your mind,” she had meant beforehand.

Jolanda Neff from Switzerland, among others, proves that top performances in both disciplines are possible in the women’s singles. Stigger, too, will have two tracks for the time being. At the Youth Olympic Games next week in Buenos Aires, she will be in action on her racing bike and mountain bike.