Newly crowned world champion Nino Schurter (Scott-Odlo) took his third World Cup win of the season on Sunday, in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, holding off a late charge by Julien Absalon (BMC). Maxime Marotte (BH-SR Suntour-KMC) took third.
Lenzerheide takes the riders to heat and altitude on a fast but rough and rooty course. Many a rider has gone out hard only to pay for it later in the race.
The eight lap race did not start well for Schurter, who pulled his foot out of his pedal at the start, immediately losing more than a dozen spots as his main rivals sprinted at the front. However, he was able to quickly make his way back to the leaders, joining Absalon and defending Lenzerheide champion Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized Racing) at the front.
Kulhavy set a hard pace on the second lap, gapping the other two on the main climb. Schurter bridged across but Absalon couldn't respond, eventually getting passed by Marotte and Victor Koretzky (BH-SR Suntour-KMC), who both joined Kulhavy and Schurter at the front.
On the third lap Schurter attacked, with Kulhavy chasing, followed by the two BH-Suntour riders, however, the Czech then flatted, dropping to nearly a minute back before getting a wheel change, joining Absalon. Kulhavy got a slight gap on Absalon, but the race order looked to be set as the riders began the second half, with Schurter out in front, followed by Marotte, then Koretzky, then Kulhavy and finally Absalon.
Absalon then began a late race surge with two and a half laps remaining, passing and dropping both Kulhavy and Koretzky to move into third. With half a lap to go, Absalon had caught and dropped Marotte to move into second, and in the final lap made up more than 40 seconds on Schurter.
"I had a really bad start," agreed Schurter, "I couldn't get into my pedals and then by the top of the first climb I was maybe 20th, and it took quite a bit of energy to get to the front. It was amazing to race back home, I love this track. I didn't know that [Kulhavy] had punctured, but I just did my own race and went as fast as I could. I've had two great races in a row now, so it gives me confidence as I go into my final preparations for Rio."
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"It was a really hard race today, and Nino was very strong," said Absalon. "I was not so strong at the beginning, but I did a really good finish, so I'm happy about that. Now we go to Mont-Ste-Anne, and Nino will not race there, so it could be possible for me to take the lead."
Schurter, with his third win of the season continues to lead the standings with 900 points, however, Absalon is only 90 back, and Marotte remains in third at 720 points.
