Schurter achieves unprecedented World Cup sweep

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MTB world champion Nino Schurter completed an unprecedented sweep of the UCI MTB World Cup in Val di Sole, Italy, this weekend. The Swiss rider claimed victory in the final round over Stephane Tempier (Bianchi Countervail) with Julien Absalon (BMC) in third.

Schurter won the overall World Cup with a massive 1,500 points, with Tempier's best result of the season in Italy pushing him into second over Maxime Marotte (Cannondale).

"It's amazing and unbelievable," Schurter said of his clean sweep. "I have an awesome team around me, and that's a big part of this success. It's impossible to get through the whole season without them."

Schurter attacked early in the race at Val di Sole with Manuel Fumic (Cannondale Factory), but the German suffered a mechanical and dropped out of the leading group. Over the subsequent laps, Tempier was the only rider who could match the world champion, and the pair worked to hold off a five-rider chasing group.

As they neared the finish, Schurter chose just the right moment to put in a stinging attack - the same spot where two years ago he inflicted the same damage on Julian Absalon - and distanced Tempier for good to claim his sixth-straight World Cup.

The winning streak began in May at Nové Mesto and continued on in Albstadt and Vallnord. The closest match to Schurter this season was Jaloslav Kulhavy (Specialized), who chased back from a bad start to come within three seconds of Schurter at the line. Tempier perhaps pushed the Swiss rider the hardest, but eventually faded to finish four seconds back after failing to match Schurter's attack.

"I'm stoked I've achieved this 6/6 strike but would like to point out that, apart of my performance, it takes a good portion of luck and a reliable team and equipment to conquer," Schurter said. "A special thanks goes to my mechanic, Yanick Gyger, and my Scott Spark 900. A whole World Cup season without one mechanical - that's not a coincidence. It's an essential prerequisite for success."