Flückiger to challenge Schurter at Swiss mountain bike nationals

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BMC's Lukas Flückiger will challenge world champion Nino Schurter (Scott Swisspower) at the Swiss cross country national championships in Lenzerheide this weekend. The women's race will most likely offer a duel between Esther Süss and Katrin Leumann. There are many top contenders in the eliminator sprint format.

Men

As far as the elite men's category is concerned, the podium of the Swiss championships will perhaps offer the same winners that will later this year be present on the award ceremony photo of the world championships. Or the other way around: Last year's World medalists might just as well enter the podium in Lenzerheide on Sunday.

There is no doubt whatsoever that current world champion Nino Schurter (Scott-Swisspower) is the top favorite in the men's race. Schurter has been the world's dominant rider during the first half of the season.

"The national championships is not one of the big goals of the season, but of course I would like to do a good race so close to my home. I’m looking forward to seeing many familiar faces along the course," said Schurter, the 27-year-old Olympic silver medalist, who lives in Chur, less than 30 minutes from Lenzerheide.

Women

The women's fight for the title will most likely result in a duel between Katrin Leumann and Esther Süss. Leumann is still handicapped with swollen vocal cords, with no clarifying diagnosis available. Nevertheless Leumann enjoys a successful season. "I would really like to take the jersey back home one more time," said Leumann.

"At least in the beginning, Kathrin Stirnemann will compete with us, whereas Nathalie Schneitter is currently a bit of a grab bag: We'll have to see how things are turning out for her," said Leumann, who was national champion in 2004, 2008 and 2009.

Just like the 31-year-old Leumann, Esther Süss also enters her fifth race weekend in a row. Therefore Süss, Bronze medalist at the marathonwWorld championships, is relying on recovery prior to the national championships. "Definitely, winning the title is my goal," said Süss who won the championship race in Gränichen in 2010.

"The Swiss championships are very important for me, especially because I had to go without the world marathon title this year. I'm curious to see how I will recover after the four and a half hour race at the marathon Worlds."

Stirnemann as well as Schneitter are keen on getting good results in Lenzerheide, because these results will be taken into account for the world championships nominations.

U23

In the men's U23-category, Mathias Stirnemann and Reto Indergand are said to be the favorites. Andri Frischknecht has been dubbed an underdog.

Jolanda Neff is the defending champion and the favorite in the U23 women's race, Andrea Waldis is her strongest rival.

Alessandra Keller (Stans), who placed third at the European championships, seems to have the best chances in the female juniors' competition. In the junior men's category, the race seems to be quite open. Recently, Nicolas Fischer (Solothurn) has moved into the foreground.

Eliminator

"It would be nice to win the sprint title again, but in Switzerland there are very many fast sprinters," said Litscher, who was somewhat restrained after having suffered a major disappointment at the European championships.

However, the Swiss line-up offers quite some more hot candidates: among others EC bronze medalist Sepp Freiburghaus, Stefan Peter, Marcel Wildhaber and last year's third placed Nicola Rohrbach.

"On Friday, for me there is only one goal and that is the jersey," said Stirnemann, who was second in both the European championships and in every World Cup sprint so far this year.

Besides Neff, European championships bronze medalist Ramona Forchini from Wattwil, Linda Indergand from Silenen and Andrea Waldis are serious competitors for Stirnemann.