Riders on the storm at XCO WC Andorra

Despite the toughest conditions yet this season, the SCOTT-SRAM team kept fighting to bring a Top 10 finish for Kate Courtney and impressive return for Filippo Colombo, while N1NO Schurter holds onto the overall World Cup lead.

Pal Arinsal, Andorra. It’s fair to say all riders experienced fairly extreme conditions this weekend in Andorra. Not only did the Pal Arinsal World Cup bring the challenge of being at 2000m elevation and having a very technical and demanding track, but the course was also badly hit by the storms that moved across Europe on Sunday. High winds, heavy rain and super low temperatures put the pressure on everyone. Whilst we as a team were well-prepared, the conditions brought challenges for staff and athletes, and everyone dug deep to bring their A-Game to the race track despite the weather.

With grit and determination, the team brought home some admirable results this weekend. Even if there were no podiums or wins, each rider gave it their all in conditions that they were not suited to, resulting in a Top 10 finish for Kate Courtney, a return race to be proud of for Filippo Colombo on the big stage, and another race in the Overall Leader’s jersey for N1NO Schurter.

Imagery: Michal Cerveny

N1NO opened up the weekend with one of his best ever Short Track races on Friday, finishing in 2nd Place and putting himself at the front of the starting grid for the XCO. Once lining up for Sunday’s race, the storm had hit in full force, and N1NO faced conditions that absolutely didn’t suit him. But the Greatest Of All Time is a fighter.

With a good start, Nino showed the form we’ve been seeing all season, holding his own amongst the top riders. An unfortunate rear flat on Lap 2 however forced Nino off-course and into the tech zone where he re-entered the race in 17th. Fighting tricky, wet conditions to get back amongst the action, Nino eventually finished in P12. It was an unlucky result, however having gained an impressive number of places on his chase back from the tech zone, Nino importantly keeps hold of the World Cup Overall Lead.

While Kate’s weekend started with a solid Short Track race, it was Sunday’s XCO where she really shined. The conditions in Andorra were not suited to Kate, with difficult, slippy and technical sections, combined with cold and wet weather that she’s not as used to compared to European riders.

However, she came to the race with her head in the game, doing what Kate does best – riding with grit and determination through every lap. Kate’s strong attitude and consistency in training paid dividends in Andorra with a superb Top 10 finish – her second of the season.

The performance of the weekend perhaps came from Filippo, who returned to his first race since his injury suffered while racing Paris-Roubaix. Filippo started at the back, in 92nd spot, and while he struggled on the descents, having not honed his skills following his injury, Filippo fired on the climbs, moving up and up the field throughout the whole race. An admirable effort and impressive show, Filippo crossed the line in 26th place. This was a great comeback for the young rider, and we hope a sign of what’s still to come in the remaining races of the season.

The challenging conditions in Andorra meant a lot of risk taking amongst the field. Andri Frischknecht had a good start but crashed hard in the first lap due to a rider in front. Unfortunately, this left him fighting to get back into form for the remainder of the race. A 37th place finish may not be the result Andri hoped for, but he’s looking forward and now focusing on the next races to come.

N1NO’s SCOTT Spark RC

For the World Cup overall leader Nino Schurter, his all-new Spark RC in the unique Endorphin Special Edition design ticks all the boxes! Some of the finest parts available, well balanced with an eye for details.

This Spark RC comes with a very special setup featuring all-new SRAM XX Eagle AXS Drivetrain, the Syncros Silverton SL (30mm) carbon wheels, Fraser iC SL combo, and even a lighter version of his Tofino saddle saving 50g.