Crans Montana, Switzerland. To say it was a challenging week leading into the race at this new venue in Crans Montana would be an understatement. Of course, spirits were high off the back of Nino’s 36th World Cup win in Val di Sole the week before, but with bad weather on the forecast all week in Switzerland, all eyes had to be focused on the next race.
Right from the first practice, we knew this would be a tough one for everyone involved. Unrelenting rain had turned an already extremely technical course into barely rideable – almost dangerous – conditions. The athletes had no choice but to dig deep and ride smart, and they delivered all round with a podium for Nino, Top 10 for Filippo, Top 20 for Andri, and Kate just outside of Top 10 – once again earning us Team of the Day on Sunday.
A difficult week with a very happy ending, with great performances from each one of the athletes giving the team something to build on heading into Les Gets.
From the first lap, Tom Pidcock pulled away and rode in his own league, eventually taking the solo win. Behind, Nino was amongst the fight for the remaining top positions, and while he stayed in amongst it, he also had in mind to ride conservatively so as not to do any damage ahead of his Olympic preparation. Trying to avoid risks was nearly impossible on this course and even small mistakes could mean big consequences. Nino himself went down twice, picking himself back up each time to hold his position, eventually sprinting to the line for a P4 finish.
Another top performance that now sees The Greatest Of All Time back in the World Cup Overall leader’s jersey. Who’d have thought after the 34th place finish in Mairipora that he would so quickly be back on top? This shows just how consistent and strong the GOAT still is!
Nino Schurter
World Cup Overall Leader
SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing
Team of the Day in the Men’s category
For the third race in a row, SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team was awarded Team of the Day in the Men’s category in Crans Montana. Thomas Frischknecht, Team Director said, “I’m super happy that everyone got through without getting injured in these dangerous and difficult conditions. It’s a relief that the athletes are all one piece, and I’m very pleased with the performance of each athlete in this race. Super stoked to be Team of the Day for the third time, which shows we have something to say for Best Team of the Season!”
Filippo Colombo
The course in Crans-Montana also presented challenging conditions for Filippo. Still recovering from his elbow injury from last year, the difficult descents and slippy roots and rocks did not bring him a lot of confidence. Filippo rode a careful race, trying to avoid taking too many risks, especially in the very dangerous sections. Even if it was tough, he showed a solid performance with a P10 finish. It’s not quite at the level as we’ve seen him this season so far, but a consistent performance to be proud of. Filippo is now in 3rd in the World Cup Overall and has plenty to build on in the next race in Les Gets, France.
Andri Frischknecht
Andri was caught in a crash at the very beginning of the race, so had to start from really far back. This was a huge disadvantage on this difficult, technical course. Still, he fought hard, passing 30+ riders throughout the race. He showed really good power throughout the race, taking risks on the descents that paid off as he crossed the line in P19 for a Top 20 finish. His best performance of the World Cup season so far!
Kate Courtney
The Women’s XCO race faced perhaps the most difficult conditions of the weekend, and certainly not the conditions Californian Kate Courtney is used to. The descents were a huge challenge, putting a lot of riders on the limit, Kate included. However she showed her form elsewhere on the course, riding really strong on the climbs. Kate rode a smart race, managing the difficult conditions very well, finishing with an 11th place that she should be really proud of.
SCOTT Spark RC X Flight Attendant
SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team athletes – Nino Schurter, Kate Courtney, Filippo Colombo and Andri Frischknecht – are now racing the all-new SCOTT X Flight Attendant models, both the Spark RC World Cup EVO and Spark RC World Cup. Developed in close cooperation with The Greatest Of All Time, the new Spark RC X Flight Attendant is undoubtedly a game changer, as the world’s best XC race bike gets even better!
