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Season Kick-Off with SCOTT-SRAM

Feb 16, 2024 | News | 0 comments

While the traditional training camp in South Africa is in full swing, it’s time to reflect on the season goals and share big news for the upcoming Untamed Cape Epic 2024.

Stellenbosch, South Africa. For the Swiss fraction of the SCOTT-SRAM Team there is no better place than Stellenbosch this time of the year in order to get ready for the upcoming season and fine tune their setups. Great weather conditions, amazing trails and riding conditions, as well as stunning views keep the team coming back year after year. This time unfortunately without Kate Courtney, who continues to prepare at home in sunny California for the early season races coming soon.

In the 2024 racing season, the SCOTT-SRAM team will continue to compete in the fight for podiums with the proven team roster. Overall World Cup 2023 winner Nino Schurter will be flanked by Filippo Colombo, who fought his way back from injury at the end of the 2023 season with promising results. Furthermore Kate Courtney and Andri Frischknecht are burning to prove their form in 2024 as they make up the team line-up for the upcoming racing season.

All eyes are set on the 2024 World Cup season, though this year has further highlights in store with the Olympic Games in Paris, France, where there are still some points to be scored in the first races at the start of the season to qualify.

Imagery: Nick Muzik
Before the going gets tough and the racing kicks off, we raised the question about the season goals. Here we go:

“This year is all about my 5th Olympics. As there are only two spots for the Swiss team I first have to prove myself against my strong Swiss competitors. If I can make it to Paris, I will give it my all to chase my 4th Olympic medal.”

Nino Schurter
10x World Champion
SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing

“This season is a very important one for me and my teammates as we fight for the opportunity to represent our countries in the upcoming Paris Olympic Games. At the end of last season, I decided to make a few big changes to my program and preparation – namely, hiring a new coach, with a completely different approach for this season. It has been a busy season of hard work and learning to implement this new approach. I look forward to being reunited with the team and giving everything I have to put myself back fighting at the front of World Cup races!”

Kate Courtney
SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing

“I still believe in my chance to qualify for my second Olympic Games. To take this chance, I must be at my very best for the first three World Cup races. If Olympics doesn’t work out, there will be plenty of opportunities to make 2024 a great season.“

Filippo Colombo
SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing

“Without racing the Cape Epic for the first time, my full focus is on cross-country racing this year. I want to be back where I was beginning of last year, with eyes on European- and World Championships.“

Andri Frischknecht
SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing

This Swiss trio around Schurter, Colombo and Frischknecht will test their legs for the first time this weekend at the Imbuko Big 5 Marathon in South Africa. The first cross-country race on the schedule will be in Greece at the end of February. Kate, Filippo and Andri will chase some UCI points with 5 races in 12 days on the Peleponnes.
The whole team will be united at the first two rounds of the World Cup in Brazil at the beginning of April.

N1NO rides Cape Epic with Sebastian Fini in support of World Bicycle Relief

N1NO has chosen a pre World Cup season preparation he knows will work. Like in the last years, he spent quite a big part of the European winter at his second home in South Africa.

The Cape Epic will be the ultimate preparation for his cross-country Olympic season. As both Filippo and Andri dedicated their focus on XCO racing, N1NO found with Danish Champion Sebastian Fini another partner to team up for this year’s edition of the Untamed Cape Epic. Sebastian Fini himself is a top contender in the World Cup racing for Team Lapierre and is a great partner for N1NO, who is aiming high again at this year’s edition. Together they race for a good cause and support World Bicycle Relief foundation, the charity organization which mobilizes people through the Power of Bicycles.

Discover World Bicycle Relief

On the one hand, both want to draw attention to the work of WBR racing the Cape Epic, but further there is a special campaign launching before the Cape Epic 2024 with some truly unique prizes available for the ones supporting that will make every MTB fan’s mouth water.

In addition the duo will hold a unique event the Monday after Cape Epic. All for the same cause, raising money for World Bicycle Relief. Keep your eyes peeled for more news about these topics to be announced soon!

“I just love to race the Cape Epic and believe it’s just what I need to be ready for the World Cup soon after. We will try to take the fund raising for World Bicycle Relief to the next level with a serious campaign.“

Nino Schurter
Cape Epic Winner 2017 & 2019
SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing