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Nino Schurter fined for firey reaction after Lenzerheide XCO

UCI's first response to the Swiss Incident

Photo by: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
July 11, 2022
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Sunday saw the most dramatic men’s XCO World Cup finale in recent memory. As a quartet rolled into the final seconds of the final lap, Nino Schurter and Mathias Flueckiger crashed – out of sight of the broadcaster’s cameras. That left Luca Braidot and Alan Hatherly alone, sprinting for glory. It also left bewildered Swiss fans silent, wondering what had happened to – or between – their two stars in the woods.

Now, the UCI has responded to the incident. Or at least to the aftermath.

From fury to fines

In the silence that followed the finish, Nino Schurter’s angry response to the incident was caught on the live feed as the cameras were focusing on the race winner.

RELATED: What happened between Schurter and Flueckiger in Lenzerheide?

The elder Swiss star’s fury shifted to frustration and sadness. A devastated Schurter was spotted away from fans, media and the other riders, head buried in his arms as emotions took over.

Now, Schurter is facing the aftermath of his outburst.

With his interaction happening in the finish area, TV cameras weren’t the only witnesses to Schurter’s words. UCI commissaires also saw Schurter shouting in Flueckiger’s face at the finish.

Race officials responded by fining Schurter 200 Swiss Francs (CAD 265), according to ESMTB.

One fine for “Failure to respect instructions of the commissaires” and another for “Inappropriate behavior at the finish of the race.”

The UCI has not commented on what happened on course. Both riders have given their version of what took place. But, without video, their very different accounts of the final lap are all there is to go by.