Schurter triumphs in men's cross country at Vallnord World Cup

World Cup leader Nino Schurter (Scott Swisspower) made a last lap surge to win his third straight UCI Cross Country Mountain Bike World Cup of the season at round 4 in Vallnord, Andorra. Altitude, heat and strong winds all played a factor in making this one of the hardest races of the season.

The men's six-lap race started out explosively fast, with a group of 10 riders forming at the front. The pace was being driven by Ondrej Cink (Multivan Merida), the under 23 world champion, who is now in his first year racing at the elite level. Schurter was one of the big names that missed the move, and had to claw his way back up after flatting on the first lap. Another absentee was Julien Absalon (BMC), who dropped his chain in the opening 300 metres of the race, falling to last place, and making an impressive effort over the remainder of the race to finally finish eighth; truly a magnificent performance.

At the front, Cink wasn't happy with the pace of the front group, and rode away solo on the second lap.

"On the second lap everyone was going slowly," said Cink, "and no one wanted to take the lead, so I went my own pace and by the top of the climb I had a good gap."

Schurter had finally joined the chase group by the end of the second lap, but Cink was now 20 seconds up on Maxime Marotte (BH-SR Suntour-KMC) and Gerhard Kerschbaumer (TX Active Bianchi), with the Schurter-led group a further 14 seconds in arrears.

By lap four, the Schurter group was six - Marotte, Kerschbaumer, Stephane Tempier (BH-SR Suntour-KMC), Fabian Giger (Giant Pro XC), Florian Vogel (Scott Swisspower) and Schurter himself. However, Cink had increased his lead to 40 seconds, and time was running out.

In the next lap, the Czech rider began to tire, and Schurter started to up his tempo, pulling to within 29 seconds as they started the final lap. The world champion then turned in the only sub-14 minute lap of the day on the final lap to finally reel in his young rival in the final kilometre. Cink tried an attack, but Schurter covered it, and then broke clear to win by six seconds, with Tempier also close to catching Cink at the line but having to settle for third.

"This is more than I could have hoped for," said Cink. "I would have been happy with a top-10. By the last lap I was beginning to believe I could win it, but then Nino came up to me. I attacked, but he came back, and got by me in the final singletrack. This result means more to me than winning the [under 23] world championships last year."

"It was a crazy race," said Schurter. "I had a bit of bad luck in the first loop, I flatted in the first descent. I needed quite a lot of power to close that gap to the chase group and then Cink was already 20, 30 seconds in the front of them. Then in the last lap I was able to catch Cink; it was a crazy battle. A really hard last lap.

"On the first lap I focused on getting back to the top five, then I saw Julien was coming quite strong from the back and I was more focused on that. Then on the last lap I saw maybe there is a chance to win the race ... and it was unbelievable race today.

"It is really tough for us athletes [the altitude]; if you want to go over your limit, you feel it for the next whole lap. It is different from racing at sea level definitely, and you have to be careful to not go too long in your red zone.

"This is a great victory, my tenth World Cup victory and now a big step to the World Cup win for the season. I am really lucky for this victory."

Schurter extended his lead significantly in the overall World Cup standings, since none of the other top contenders made the top five at Vallnord. At 820 points with two races remaining, Schurter leads round one winner Daniel McConnell (Trek Factory Racing) by 280 points, with Absalon another 30 points back, tied with Cink.

Full results

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Elite men cross country
1Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team1:27:07
2Ondrej Cink (Cze) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:00:06
3Stéphane Tempier (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC0:00:11
4Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC0:00:31
5Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita) Tx Active Bianchi0:00:45
6Fabian Giger (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team0:00:51
7Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team0:01:15
8Julien Absalon (Fra) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team0:01:19
9Miguel Martinez (Fra)0:01:25
10Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing0:01:36
11Daniel McConnell (Aus) Trek Factory Racing0:02:01
12Mathias Flückiger (Swi) Stöckli Pro Team0:02:11
13Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing0:02:16
14Ralph Naef (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team0:02:22
15Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) SRAM Rubena Trek0:02:28
16Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys Team0:02:35
17Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing0:02:55
18Alexander Gehbauer (Aut) Tx Active Bianchi0:02:56
19Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Elettroveneta-Corratec0:03:00
20Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Controltech Nevi0:03:07
21José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:03:15
22Lukas Flückiger (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team0:03:19
23Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) Specialized Racing XC0:03:22
24Martin Loo (Est) Merida Italia Team0:03:32
25Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:03:40
26Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team0:04:03
27Martin Gujan (Swi) Tx Active Bianchi0:04:18
28Uwe Hochenwarter (Aut) Focus XC Team0:04:29
29Thomas Litscher (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:04:42
30Andras Parti (Hun) Waberer's Areus Cube MTB Team0:04:47
31David Valero (Spa)0:04:50
32Karl Markt (Aut) Ötztal Scott Racing Team0:04:59
33Patrik Gallati (Swi) Focus XC Team0:05:10
34Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing XC0:05:18
35Zsolt Juhasz (Hun) Waberer's Areus Cube MTB Team0:05:23
36David Joao Serralheiro Rosa (Por)0:05:33
37Pierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra)0:05:35
38Alexis Chenevier (Fra) Scott La Clusaz0:05:48
39Jiri Novak (Cze) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team0:05:55
40Ramon Sagues Portabella (Spa)0:06:18
41Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team0:06:25
42Daniel Eymann (Swi)0:06:30
43Markus Bauer (Ger)0:06:41
44David Fletcher (GBr) Orange Monkey Pro Team0:06:42
45Hans Becking (Ned) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team0:07:38
46Catriel Andres Soto (Arg) Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing0:08:07
47Geoff Kabush (Can) Scott-3Roxracing0:08:25
48Robby De Bock (Bel) Feenstra Felt Powered By Kenda0:08:45
49Henk Jaap Moorlag (Ned) Giant Pro XC Team0:09:08
50Sebastien Carabin (Bel) Team Merida Wallonie MTB0:09:14
51Cristofer Bosque Ruano (Spa)0:09:36
52Simon Stiebjahn (Ger) Team Bulls0:09:51
53Francesc Guerra (Spa)0:09:55
54Mykhaylo Batsutsa (Ukr) Cycling Club Roma MTB Team0:10:02
55Sepp Freiburghaus (Swi)0:10:09
56Derek Zandstra (Can) Scott-3Roxracing0:10:17
57Pavel Priadein (Rus)0:10:36
58Pascal Meyer (Swi) JB Felt Team0:10:50
59Kornel Osicki (Pol)0:11:02
60Lucien Besancon (Swi)0:11:12
61David Escolar Ballesteros (Spa)0:11:51
62Andy Eyring (Ger)0:12:14
63Fabian Rabensteiner (Ita) Focus XC Italy Team0:12:48
64Renay Groustra (RSA)0:13:06
65Gareth Montgomerie (GBr)0:13:34
66Ivan Diaz (Spa)0:13:56
67Philip Buys (RSA)-1lap
68Franco Molina (Arg)Row 67 - Cell 2
69Javier Altamirano Rodrigo (Arg)-2laps
70Alejo Moya (Spa)Row 69 - Cell 2
71Mario Matijevic (Bel)Row 70 - Cell 2
72Sang Hoon Na (Kor) Calvisson VTTRow 71 - Cell 2
73Zdenek Vobecky (Cze)Row 72 - Cell 2
DNFFabien Canal (Fra) ASPTT Definitive TecRow 73 - Cell 2
DNFMoritz Milatz (Ger) BMC Mountainbike Racing TeamRow 74 - Cell 2
DNFNicola Rohrbach (Swi) Goldwurst-Power / StöckliRow 75 - Cell 2
DNFSimon Scheiber (Aut) Ötztal Scott Racing TeamRow 76 - Cell 2
DNFDaniel Federspiel (Aut) Ötztal Scott Racing TeamRow 77 - Cell 2
DNFMarek Konwa (Pol) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing TeamRow 78 - Cell 2
DNFFabio Hernando Castaneda Monsalve (Col)Row 79 - Cell 2
DNFMirko Tabacchi (Ita)Row 80 - Cell 2
DNFGuy Diaz Groiller (And)Row 81 - Cell 2
DNFCarlos Portilla Parrilla (Spa)Row 82 - Cell 2
DNFDario Alejandro Gasco (Arg)Row 83 - Cell 2
DNSMartin Fanger (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing TeamRow 84 - Cell 2
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Teams
1Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team64pts
2BH - SR Suntour - KMC62Row 1 - Cell 3
3Multivan Merida Biking Team51Row 2 - Cell 3
4BMC Mountainbike Racing Team49Row 3 - Cell 3
5Tx Active Bianchi45Row 4 - Cell 3
6Cannondale Factory Racing35Row 5 - Cell 3
7Giant Pro XC Team26Row 6 - Cell 3
8Trek Factory Racing20Row 7 - Cell 3
9Stöckli Pro Team19Row 8 - Cell 3
10Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing18Row 9 - Cell 3
11SRAM Rubena Trek16Row 10 - Cell 3
12Versluys Team15Row 11 - Cell 3
13Elettroveneta-Corratec12Row 12 - Cell 3
14Controltech Nevi11Row 13 - Cell 3
15Specialized Racing XC8Row 14 - Cell 3
16Merida Italia Team7Row 15 - Cell 3
17Topeak Ergon Racing Team5Row 16 - Cell 3
18Focus XC Team3Row 17 - Cell 3
19Waberer's Areus Cube MTB Team1Row 18 - Cell 3
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Elite men cross country World Cup individual standings
1Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team820pts
2Daniel McConnell (Aus) Trek Factory Racing540Row 1 - Cell 3
3Julien Absalon (Fra) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team510Row 2 - Cell 3
4Ondrej Cink (Cze) Multivan Merida Biking Team510Row 3 - Cell 3
5Lukas Flückiger (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team502Row 4 - Cell 3
6Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing XC412Row 5 - Cell 3
7Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC405Row 6 - Cell 3
8Mathias Flückiger (Swi) Stöckli Pro Team403Row 7 - Cell 3
9Thomas Litscher (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team374Row 8 - Cell 3
10Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing366Row 9 - Cell 3
11Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing340Row 10 - Cell 3
12Fabian Giger (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team330Row 11 - Cell 3
13Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Multivan Merida Biking Team310Row 12 - Cell 3
14Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita) Tx Active Bianchi293Row 13 - Cell 3
15Alexander Gehbauer (Aut) Tx Active Bianchi282Row 14 - Cell 3
16José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team264Row 15 - Cell 3
17Max Plaxton (Can)260Row 16 - Cell 3
18Stéphane Tempier (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC255Row 17 - Cell 3
19Martin Fanger (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team251Row 18 - Cell 3
20Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team248Row 19 - Cell 3
21Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Controltech Nevi226Row 20 - Cell 3
22Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys Team226Row 21 - Cell 3
23Martin Loo (Est) Merida Italia Team222Row 22 - Cell 3
24Geoff Kabush (Can) Scott-3Roxracing217Row 23 - Cell 3
25Henk Jaap Moorlag (Ned) Giant Pro XC Team215Row 24 - Cell 3
26Emil Lindgren (Swe) Giant Pro XC Team210Row 25 - Cell 3
27Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) Specialized Racing XC206Row 26 - Cell 3
28Miguel Martinez (Fra)205Row 27 - Cell 3
29Uwe Hochenwarter (Aut) Focus XC Team198Row 28 - Cell 3
30Martin Gujan (Swi) Tx Active Bianchi193Row 29 - Cell 3
31Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team173Row 30 - Cell 3
32Marek Konwa (Pol) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team171Row 31 - Cell 3
33Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) SRAM Rubena Trek171Row 32 - Cell 3
34Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) Goldwurst-Power / Stöckli166Row 33 - Cell 3
35Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team158Row 34 - Cell 3
36Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Elettroveneta-Corratec150Row 35 - Cell 3
37Andras Parti (Hun) Waberer's Areus Cube MTB Team134Row 36 - Cell 3
38Jiri Novak (Cze) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team129Row 37 - Cell 3
39Ralph Naef (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team116Row 38 - Cell 3
40Sergji Rysenko (Ukr) Cycling Club Roma MTB Team116Row 39 - Cell 3
41Jürg Graf (Swi) BSK Graf-Rollmat-Koba MTB Team106Row 40 - Cell 3
42Fabien Canal (Fra) ASPTT Definitive Tec104Row 41 - Cell 3
43Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing95Row 42 - Cell 3
44Patrik Gallati (Swi) Focus XC Team94Row 43 - Cell 3
45Michal Lami (Svk)92Row 44 - Cell 3
46Derek Zandstra (Can) Scott-3Roxracing90Row 45 - Cell 3
47Hans Becking (Ned) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team85Row 46 - Cell 3
48Karl Markt (Aut) Ötztal Scott Racing Team78Row 47 - Cell 3
49David Joao Serralheiro Rosa (Por)70Row 48 - Cell 3
50Anton Sintsov (Rus) Titici Lgl International Team66Row 49 - Cell 3
51Moritz Milatz (Ger) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team66Row 50 - Cell 3
52Sebastien Carabin (Bel) Team Merida Wallonie MTB66Row 51 - Cell 3
53Zsolt Juhasz (Hun) Waberer's Areus Cube MTB Team62Row 52 - Cell 3
54Michele Casagrande (Ita) Elettroveneta-Corratec61Row 53 - Cell 3
55Shlomi Haimy (Isr) Focus XC Team59Row 54 - Cell 3
56Simon Stiebjahn (Ger) Team Bulls59Row 55 - Cell 3
57Sepp Freiburghaus (Swi)55Row 56 - Cell 3
58Pierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra)51Row 57 - Cell 3
59Daniel Eymann (Swi)51Row 58 - Cell 3
60Fabio Hernando Castaneda Monsalve (Col)50Row 59 - Cell 3
61Alban Lakata (Aut) Topeak Ergon Racing Team50Row 60 - Cell 3
62Oleksandr Gerashchenko (Ukr) ISD MTB Team48Row 61 - Cell 3
63Jochen Kass (Ger)46Row 62 - Cell 3
64Giancarlo Sax (Swi)46Row 63 - Cell 3
65David Valero (Spa)44Row 64 - Cell 3
66Henrique Avancini (Bra) Caloi44Row 65 - Cell 3
67Pascal Meyer (Swi) JB Felt Team43Row 66 - Cell 3
68Raphael Gagne (Can)43Row 67 - Cell 3
69Catriel Andres Soto (Arg) Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing43Row 68 - Cell 3
70Umberto Corti (Ita) Controltech Nevi42Row 69 - Cell 3
71Lucien Besancon (Swi)42Row 70 - Cell 3
72Paolo Cesar Montoya Cantillo (CRc)40Row 71 - Cell 3
73Robby De Bock (Bel) Feenstra Felt Powered By Kenda36Row 72 - Cell 3
74Filip Eberl (Cze)35Row 73 - Cell 3
75Jonas De Backer (Bel)32Row 74 - Cell 3
76Kornel Osicki (Pol)32Row 75 - Cell 3
77Alexis Chenevier (Fra) Scott La Clusaz30Row 76 - Cell 3
78Matous Ulman (Cze)30Row 77 - Cell 3
79Philip Buys (RSA)30Row 78 - Cell 3
80Ramon Sagues Portabella (Spa)28Row 79 - Cell 3
81Mitchell Hoke (USA)26Row 80 - Cell 3
82Markus Bauer (Ger)25Row 81 - Cell 3
83David Fletcher (GBr) Orange Monkey Pro Team24Row 82 - Cell 3
84Matthias Wengelin (Swe)24Row 83 - Cell 3
85Frank Beemer (Ned) Mpl Specialized MTB Team20Row 84 - Cell 3
86Pavel Priadein (Rus)19Row 85 - Cell 3
87Pavel Boudny (Cze)18Row 86 - Cell 3
88Cristofer Bosque Ruano (Spa)17Row 87 - Cell 3
89Todd Wells (USA) Specialized Racing XC17Row 88 - Cell 3
90Andy Eyring (Ger)17Row 89 - Cell 3
91Simon Scheiber (Aut) Ötztal Scott Racing Team16Row 90 - Cell 3
92Francesc Guerra (Spa)15Row 91 - Cell 3
93Mykhaylo Batsutsa (Ukr) Cycling Club Roma MTB Team14Row 92 - Cell 3
94Carl Jones (NZl)14Row 93 - Cell 3
95Mirko Tabacchi (Ita)12Row 94 - Cell 3
96Ismael Ventura Sanchez (Spa)12Row 95 - Cell 3
97Marcel Fleschhut (Ger)11Row 96 - Cell 3
98Ludovic Dubau (Fra) Newcycling10Row 97 - Cell 3
99Tim Wynants (Bel) Toka Print MTB Team10Row 98 - Cell 3
100Kristian Hynek (Cze) Elettroveneta-Corratec9Row 99 - Cell 3
101Cameron Jette (Can) Scott-3Roxracing9Row 100 - Cell 3
102Dmytro Titarenko (Ukr) ISD MTB Team8Row 101 - Cell 3
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Elite men World Cup team standings
1BMC Mountainbike Racing Team252pts
2Multivan Merida Biking Team249Row 1 - Cell 3
3Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team193Row 2 - Cell 3
4Giant Pro XC Team141Row 3 - Cell 3
5BH - SR Suntour - KMC134Row 4 - Cell 3
6Tx Active Bianchi115Row 5 - Cell 3
7Specialized Racing XC106Row 6 - Cell 3
8Trek Factory Racing99Row 7 - Cell 3
9Cannondale Factory Racing96Row 8 - Cell 3
10Stöckli Pro Team79Row 9 - Cell 3
11Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing61Row 10 - Cell 3
12Scott-3Roxracing40Row 11 - Cell 3
13Controltech Nevi38Row 12 - Cell 3
14Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team35Row 13 - Cell 3
15Merida Italia Team28Row 14 - Cell 3
16SRAM Rubena Trek27Row 15 - Cell 3
17Versluys Team27Row 16 - Cell 3
18Topeak Ergon Racing Team21Row 17 - Cell 3
19Goldwurst-Power / Stöckli17Row 18 - Cell 3
20Cycling Club Roma MTB Team14Row 19 - Cell 3
21Elettroveneta-Corratec12Row 20 - Cell 3
22Titici Lgl International Team11Row 21 - Cell 3
23Focus XC Team11Row 22 - Cell 3
24BSK Graf-Rollmat-Koba MTB Team9Row 23 - Cell 3
25Asptt Definitive Tec8Row 24 - Cell 3
26Waberer's Areus Cube MTB Team3Row 25 - Cell 3
27ISD MTB Team2Row 26 - Cell 3

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