Krahl was ready for the podium by the time the shoe changed

rsnplusU23 champion strong in World Cup

by Kevin Kempo

11.10.2022 | (rsn) – The Cross World Cup 2022/2023 began on Sunday in Waterloo, United States. There were also two Germans: Lukas Herrmann (Heizomat – Kloster Kitchen) finished 31st in the men’s category, while his teammate Judith Krall finished 24th in the women’s category. The German U23 champion achieved the best World Cup result of her career, but she could have done more without a crash – even a U23 podium!

Krahl arrived in the United States on Wednesday last week to attend two World Cup races. This does not follow the trend, as most drivers in Europe do not start overseas. “It’s a very complicated journey, you have to think twice whether you want to do it,” the 21-year-old told radsport-news.com. “Well because in Europe it will continue directly with Tabor. It will certainly be tense when we come back.”

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In order to be able to better prepare for the next World Cup race in the Czech Republic, Lars van der Haar (Balois – Trek Lions) decided to return home after the race in Waterloo. But Krahl also wants to stay in Fayetteville at the start. “Our primary concern is the World Cup points, which are easy to reach here in America. But it’s also about gaining experience,” she said.

Slip and shoe problems cost time and space

The “easy points” could be explained by the line-up – and so Krahl was on his way to score as many points by the halfway point in the race. She was 14th and third in the official U23 classification, behind eventual winners Fame van Ampel (Powell’s Sauzanne – Bingol) and Madigan Munro (Trek). But then she fell back one minute ten positions in the live timing.

Judith Kraal at the U23 European Cross Country Championships 2021 in Wijster/Netherlands.

“I slipped and then the buckle broke my shoe. It was right in front of the depot and I drove first,” Krahl said of the sudden loss of time. “But then I saw that the shoe was broken, so I turned. So I went to the depot in the opposite direction, changed my shoe and moved on.”

support from the team

Heizomat – Yannick Meyer, sports director of Kloster Kitchen, was sitting in the front row while changing shoes in the content area. Due to the high cost of traveling to the United States, the team is on site with a small number of employees. So the 31-year-old is currently the “girl for everything”.

“Yanick is in the US thrice a year and last year took part in the World Cup here as well. Of course, he knows his way here and does everything here for us, ”Krahl praised his compatriot.

Kraal cannot expect any support for the two World Cups from Bund Deutscher Fahrd (BDR), who had not nominated him for the previous Cross World Championships in Fayetteville. “The cost is 100 percent on us. But I don’t have to pay anything myself,” she explained.

The women’s race at Waterloss was won by Fame van Ampel of the Netherlands, who is almost a year younger than 21-year-old Krahl.

With good health and an overview of Fayetteville

She will make her World Cup debut in January in Fayetteville on Sunday. But first they have to travel 870 kilometers from Iowa to Arkansas. “Today we’re driving a little south and tomorrow we’ll drive the rest of the way,” Krall said.

“I already have a rough overview of where I stand. Before I changed my shoes, I was third in U23. If it works out in Fayetteville, I’ll be very happy,” said the Leipzig resident Most importantly, explaining his goals for the second race of the Cross Series. There she will probably have to fight for a place on the podium with Canada’s 17-year-old Holmgren twins Ava and Isabella.

The prerequisites for a successful performance in Fayetteville are better for the German than at Waterloo. “I was sick before the trip. I got back on my bike in the US for the first time in a week. I lay flat with a cold, then flew here, trained lightly for a few days and I didn’t even Knew where I was,” Krahl said.