As part of the City City Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup in Waregem/Flanders the short track race took place one day before the main event. Within 35 minutes the riders not only had to race the course as fast as possible but also collect bonus points in intermediate sprints after 5, 15 and 25 minutes.

David Horvath of STEVENS MTB Racing Team had a good start on his STEVENS Jura Carbon Team and took the lead after the first lap. ”I wanted to set the pace”, he said and opened a gap of 15 seconds between him and the chase group. ”After the second intermediate which I was able to win, I let two of riders from the chase group catch up on purpose”, David said. With the World Cup on the next day in mind I wanted to see on which part of the course they might be stronger or weaker than me.”

Quite a thrilling constellation, resulting in an elimination race with all three riders attacking. Eventually Horvath and former European Champion Jeroen van Eck remained to settle for victory. ”I was already exhausted by that time. Yet, in the final lap I could pass him and cross the sandy section first”, David summed up. This manoeuvre opened a decisive gap of a couple of meters necessary for the win. ”A huge weight fell off my chest”, the happy 2015 German Sprint Champion said about the win that finally ended his winning drought after he had broken his fibula in a race in Barcelona last April.

He was able to top-off this success with a 10th place in the sprint world cup the Sunday after. ”Unfortunately I could not defeat van Eck and Simon Gegenheimer in the heat race and was eliminated, but I am pleased”, he said. David’s next goal is the German National Championship in July until then ”there is still room for improvement.”

In the meantime he already gave proof of his capabilities when mid-July he became State Champion of Baden-Württemberg at the State Championships in Gomaringen.