Schurter wins in Solothurn

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Nino Schurter (Scott-Swisspower) and Esther Süss (Wheeler-IXS Pro Team) won the latest round of the BMC Cup in Solothurn on Saturday. After the juniors and amateurs raced in poor, wet weather, the elite men and women took to the start in good conditions.

In the men's race, 13 men formed an initial lead group on the first of seven laps, including favorites Schurter, Jose Antonio Hermida (Mulitvan Merida), Maxime Marotte (BH Suntour Peisey-Vallandry), Florian Vogel (Scott Swisspower) and Lukas Flückiger (Trek World Racing).

After lap 4, Schurter, Christoph Sauser (Specialized) and Moritz Milatz (BMC) formed the lead trio.

Sauser lost contact with Milatz and Schurter on the steepest uphill part of the last lap. Schurter rode in for the win three seconds ahead of Milatz. Third place went to Christoph Sauser at 25 seconds. German champion Julian Schelb (Lexware Racing) was the top U23 rider, ahead of Marc Stutzmann (RSC Aaretal /FreeMountain Scott Racing Team) and Mirco Widmer (Giant Swiss SR Suntour), who finished close together.

"It's cool to win here in front of a huge home crowd," said Schurter. "With some long stretches of paved roads the race here always gets tactical. Therefore you always have to keep the race under control. After Florian lost contact, I was on my own, but at the end it worked out perfectly. I'm confident and ready for the coming up World Cups."  It was Schurter's fourth win, of six total races he has done so far this season.

In the elite women's race, Süss made it three in a row here. All the favorites made it into a lead group that lasted together until three laps to go. Süss didn't have a great start, but she was able to make up spots with New Zeland's Karen Hanlen (NZ National Team). The two then rode together at and off the front until the final hill, and the race was decided out of the last corner with Süss finishing two seconds ahead of Hanlen. Irina Kalentieva (Topeak Ergon) was third ahead of U23 world champion Julie Bresset (BH Suntour Peisey-Vallandry). Jolanda Neff put in solid race as first U23 racer in fifth place overall..

The juniors' races was also decided in the final corner. Andrea Waldis (VC Gersau / Colnago) celebrated her third win in front of the Sofia Wiedenroth (SV Niederstaufen / Stevens Schubert Team) and Perrine Clauzel (Focus/coaching-system.fr).

Junior world champion Victor Koretzky (Team BikePark.ch Craft) beat Swiss champion Dominic Zumstein and Andri Frischknecht (both Scott Swisspower). Frischknecht had lost contact with the leading group as a result of a mechanical and dropped back to 10th place. But he put in the best lap time to move from 10th to third on the final lap.

Florian Chenaux (VC Fribourg/ Cycles Pache) won the amateur race ahead of Sandro Soncin (BH Biketeam) and Markus Bless (Tower Sports-VC Eschenbach).

Full Results