World and Olympic champion Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) continues to dominate men's field at the Mountain Bike World Cup, taking his third consecutive victory of the season at Round 3 in Vallnord, Andorra, on Sunday.
Defending World Cup overall champion Julien Absalon (BMC) was missing from the start line after breaking his collarbone in a training crash. However, this race was owned Schurter, who holds a perfect win record this season. Schurter powered away from the rest of the field on the first lap of the seven lap race and had opened almost a minute lead within a lap. He easily held this gap until the final lap, when he backed off to cruise in to victory, his 23rd World Cup win.
"I'm super happy," said Schurter. "I love this course; it's super technical and I really feel home here. I had an awesome start and was at the front from the beginning. Here at altitude it's really important to pace your race, and when I had the gap I was able to do my own race. It was a perfect race for me. With three World Cup wins it is already an amazing season, and I just hope it can get better and better."
Behind, an initial chase group of ten was gradually whittled down through attrition - with the exception of Number-2 ranked David Valero (MMR Factory) who flatted while leading the chase. Eventually the chase came down to three riders - Mathias Flueckiger (Radon Factory), Jordan Sarrou (BH SR Suntour KMC) and Sam Gaze (Specialized). Gaze was dropped on the last lap when the other two began attacking, and Flueckiger outsprinted Sarrou for second.
Schurter now has a perfect score of 750 points, and is close to uncatchable in the standings. Valero, despite his flat and finishing 22nd, remains in second with 412 points, just two points in front of Maxime Marotte (Cannondale Factory).
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team | 1:23:28 |
| 2 | Mathias Flueckiger (Swi) Radon Factory XC Team | 0:00:18 |
| 3 | Jordan Sarrou (Fra) BH-Srsuntour-KMC | 0:00:19 |
| 4 | Samuel Gaze (NZl) Specialized Racing | 0:00:33 |
| 5 | Florian Vogel (Swi) Focus XC Team | 0:00:51 |
| 6 | Pablo Rodriguez Guede (Spa) MMR Factory Racing Team | 0:00:59 |
| 7 | Maxime Marotte (Fra) Cannondale Factory Racing XC | 0:01:08 |
| 8 | Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) Primaflor Mondraker | 0:01:10 |
| 9 | Anton Sintsov (Rus) JBG - 2 Professional MTB Team | 0:01:11 |
| 10 | Henrique Avancini (Bra) Cannondale Factory Racing XC | 0:01:24 |
| 11 | Stephane Tempier (Fra) Bianchi Countervail | 0:01:46 |
| 12 | Lukas Flueckiger (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:02:02 |
| 13 | Howard Grotts (USA) | 0:02:19 |
| 14 | Marcel Guerrini (Swi) Focus XC Team | 0:02:27 |
| 15 | Jens Schuermans (Bel) Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret | 0:02:32 |
| 16 | Luca Braidot (Ita) | 0:02:34 |
| 17 | Daniel McConnell (Aus) | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
| 18 | Anton Cooper (NZl) Trek Factory Racing XC | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
| 19 | Hugo Drechou (Fra) Massi | 0:02:36 |
| 20 | Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) SRAM Mitas Trek | 0:02:54 |
| 21 | Lars Forster (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:03:09 |
| 22 | David Valero Serrano (Spa) MMR Factory Racing Team | 0:03:21 |
| 23 | Grant Ferguson (GBr) CST Sandd American Eagle MTB Racing Team | 0:03:30 |
| 24 | Martin Fanger (Swi) | 0:03:37 |
| 25 | Victor Koretzky (Fra) BH-Srsuntour-KMC | 0:03:45 |
| 26 | Leandre Bouchard (Can) BH-Srsuntour-KMC | 0:03:46 |
| 27 | Thomas Litscher (Swi) JB Brunex Felt Team | 0:04:00 |
| 28 | Hans Becking (Ned) CST Sandd American Eagle MTB Racing Team | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
| 29 | Reto Indergand (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:04:01 |
| 30 | Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita) Torpado Gabogas | 0:04:11 |
| 31 | Matthias Stirnemann (Swi) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team | 0:04:29 |
| 32 | Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing XC | 0:04:35 |
| 33 | Michiel Van Der Heijden (Ned) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team | 0:04:47 |
| 34 | Ben Zwiehoff (Ger) | 0:04:52 |
| 35 | Daniele Braidot (Ita) | 0:05:02 |
| 36 | Ruben Scheire (Bel) Habitat Mountainbike Team | 0:05:07 |
| 37 | Martin Loo (Est) | 0:05:08 |
| 38 | Kevin Panhuyzen (Bel) Habitat Mountainbike Team | 0:05:20 |
| 39 | Moritz Milatz (Ger) | 0:05:24 |
| 40 | Karl Markt (Aut) Moebel Maerki MTB Pro Team | 0:05:26 |
| 41 | Mario Costa (Por) Primaflor Mondraker | 0:05:34 |
| 42 | Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Team NOB Selle Italia | 0:05:38 |
| 43 | Fabian Giger (Swi) Kross Racing Team | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
| 44 | Titouan Carod (Fra) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:05:39 |
| 45 | Didier Bats (Bel) CST Sandd American Eagle MTB Racing Team | 0:05:53 |
| 46 | Catriel Soto (Arg) Primaflor Mondraker | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
| 47 | Markus Schulte-Luenzum (Ger) Focus XC Team | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
| 48 | Florian Trigo (Fra) Massi | 0:06:06 |
| 49 | Mirko Tabacchi (Ita) | 0:06:15 |
| 50 | Jhonnatan Botero Villegas (Col) | 0:06:23 |
| 51 | Gregor Raggl (Aut) Moebel Maerki MTB Pro Team | 0:06:30 |
| 52 | Ivan Diaz Buj (Spa) | 0:06:39 |
| 53 | Marek Konwa (Pol) Volkswagen Samochody Uzytkowe MTB Team | 0:06:45 |
| 54 | Andri Frischknecht (Swi) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team | 0:06:54 |
| 55 | Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Trek Factory Racing XC | 0:07:02 |
| 56 | Florian Chenaux (Swi) | 0:07:15 |
| 57 | Arnis Petersons (Lat) ZZK | 0:07:38 |
| 58 | Bartlomiej Wawak (Pol) Kross Racing Team | 0:07:43 |
| 59 | Andrea Righettini (Ita) | 0:08:06 |
| 60 | Christian Pfaffle (Ger) Moebel Maerki MTB Pro Team | 0:08:11 |
| 61 | Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) BH-Srsuntour-KMC | 0:08:14 |
| 62 | David Rosa (Por) | 0:08:28 |
| 63 | Thomas Griot (Fra) Materiel-Velo.com | 0:08:56 |
| 64 | Sebastien Carabin (Bel) Merida Wallonie MTB Team | 0:09:11 |
| 65 | Edoardo Bonetto (Ita) Elios-Srsuntour Pro Team | 0:09:37 |
| 66 | Fco. Javier Poza Ruiz (Spa) | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
| 67 | Arthur Tropardy (Fra) Look - Beaumes De Venise | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
| 68 | Adelino Moll Mut (Spa) | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
| 69 | Andrew L'esperance (Can) | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
| 70 | Bart De Vocht (Bel) KTM Bike Vision | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
| 71 | Adria Noguera Soldevila (Spa) | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
| 72 | Cameron Ivory (Aus) | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
| 73 | Antoine Le Coq (Fra) Cube Pro Fermetures Sefic | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
| 74 | Dario Gasco (Arg) | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
| 75 | Simon Gegenheimer (Ger) Rose Vaujany Fueled by Ultrasports | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
| 76 | Israel Nuaez Baticon (Spa) Massi | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
| 77 | Maximilian Holz (Ger) German Technology Racing | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
| 78 | Chris Baddick (GBr) | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
| 79 | Tobias Rotermund (Ger) | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
| 80 | Mario Sinues Mico (Spa) | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
| 81 | Victor Selles Pardo (Spa) | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
| 82 | Antoine Bouqueret (Fra) Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
| 83 | Gerrit Rosenkranz (Ger) | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
| 84 | Zdenek Vobecky (Cze) | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
| 85 | Guy Diaz Grollier (And) | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
| 86 | Jose Dias (Por) | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
| 87 | Russell Nankervis (Aus) | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
| 88 | Oriol Domenech Fernandez (Spa) | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
| 89 | Robin Vanden Abeele (Bel) Cube Pro Fermetures Sefic | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
| 90 | Francisco Javier Macias Bonano (Spa) | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
| 91 | Roberto Ferreira (Por) | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
| 92 | Alberto Mingorance Fernandez (Spa) | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
| 93 | Kevin Guillermo Ingratta Diaz (Arg) | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
| 94 | Robert Schwenk (Ger) | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Francesco Guerra Carretero (Spa) | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Bianchi Countervail | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Martin Gluth (Ger) OMX Pro Team | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Ramon Sagues Portabella (Spa) | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Daniel Carreno Nin De Cardona (Spa) MMR Factory Racing Team | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Saul Lopez Alvarez (Spa) | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
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