Imperious Nino Schurter’s (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team) hugely-popular victory in Lenzerheide, Switzerland was his 34th World Cup win and saw him clinch the record for the most of any rider.
The Swiss star had been tied on 33 with French legend of the sport Julien Absalon.
After a hard fought battle for the remaining podium spots at round two of the 2023 series, South Africa’s Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) took the second spot from Frenchman Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) in third.
Schurter looked in control from the start of the men’s race and a group including the World Champion, Sarrou, Matthias Fluckiger (Thomus Maxon), Daniele Braidot (CS Carabinieri - Cicli Olympia Vittoria) and Hatherly traded blows at the front for the first three laps.
Then near the start of lap four a mistake by Braidot, who tangled with Hatherly and Sarrou allowed the two Swiss riders to get a gap of a few seconds.
And it wasn’t long before Schurter put in a huge attack and opened up a gap to a chasing group led by Sarrou with Hatherly and Braidot behind as Fluckiger dropped back and Kiwi Sam Gaze (Alpecin Deceunik) came back.
By the last two laps, a flying Schurter had ground out a gap of almost 30 seconds over Sarrou and Hatherly as the chorus of cowbells seemed to lift the Swiss star more by the second.
On the final lap, the South African was overhauled by France’s Thomas Griot (Canyon CLLCTV) who were both challenging Sarrou for the second spot.
In the end Hatherly took second from Sarrou in the final wooded section as Griot’s challenge faded leaving him in fourth.
But the day was 37-year-old Schurter’s as he crossed the line to enter the record books and revel in a rapturous reception.
Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekends race are available globally on GCN+ here.
