Engen wins women's eliminator at Nove Mesto World Cup

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In round 2 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup eliminator on Friday, Alexandra Engen (Ghost Factory) went two-for-two among the women, in a performance that shows the Swedish rider is clearly the dominant rider in the sport right now.

Engen, the world champion in the discipline, was clearly in control, qualifying first and then only working as hard as necessary to make it through each round on her way the final. She was joined in the final by the next fastest qualifiers: Kathrin Stirnemann (Sabine Spitz Haibike), Ingrid Boe Jacobsen (Sepura XC Superior) and Peta Mullens (Colnago Sudtirol).

Stirnemann took charge in the start of the final; however, Engen was just biding her time, and swept by on the finishing straight to easily win.

"It was so crazy, so nice [to win]," Engen said. "Kathrin [Stirnemann] did a marvelous race. I know she wanted to jump to the right side, so I braked and wanted to hold her back and she jumped to the left side instead. Then she went full gas, which was more or less my tactic. When I caught her, I thought it might last and it did."

Engen now has a perfect 120 points in the World Cup standings, with Stirnemann a distant second at 65 points and Jenny Rissveds (Scott-Odlo) at 60. Mullens, who missed the first round, is eighth, with 25 points.

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