Nino Schurter makes it eight at Mont-Sainte-Anne

In a week where avoiding mechanical misfortune has been a crucial race tactic, Nino Schurter rode a perfect race in Mont-Sainte-Anne to win his eighth world championship title.

The smooth ride was no accident, either, according to Schurter.

“I think I was the only one without a mechanical in the top four, but I put alot into making sure that didn’t happen,”  the Swiss champion said after the race. “I invested more time than ever to know all the lines, and the safest line through everything,”

The extra work paid off, and Schurter leaves Mont-Sainte-Anne with two more world champion titles. Saturday’s elite men’s XCO adds to Switzerland’s XC Team Relay victory, where Schurter, riding the anchor leg, pulled his team into the lead in the races dying moments.

The eight time world champion learned his lesson the hard way, though. When worlds were last in Quebec, in 2010, Schurter flatted twice while in the lead. José Antonio Hermida-Ramos would go on to win that race. Nino was forced to settle for fourth.

Léandre Bouchard top Canadian finisher

Racing in his home province, Canadian Olympian Léandre Bouchard was the top Canadian finisher in the elite men’s XCO at Mont-Sainte-Anne.

“My start was pretty good, I was in the early 20’s and riding pretty smooth in the first laps,” Bouchard said of how his race unfolded. “After that, I lost a few spots and I was all by myself. But I fought hard the whole time, and I knew that there was a big group in front of me. On the last lap I was able to catch some of them and make some passes.”

After riding in 30th for much of the race, Bouchard’s late race push moved him forward through the field to finish 27th.

“I’m pretty happy about that, it’s sweet to perform well in front of a home crowd,” Bouchard said of his result. Like all the Canadians on course, the tall Alma, Que. rider was cheered loudly around the course. “It was crazy to hear my name everywhere – calm places on course were rare. That was just crazy out there. I’m so happy to have a great world championships at home.”

On of the riders Bouchard past late in the race was Canadian elite national champion Peter Disera. After starting well and riding in the top 15 on the opening lap, Disera slipped to 20th for much of the race. On seeing Bouchard ride by, Disera said, “We’re all on the same team here at this race. When Dre passed me on the last lap I was like ‘Go! Just get’em! I am done.’ It was good to see him charge forward.

“I had a good start, I was right where I wanted to be,” said the Ontario rider, who’s finished inside the World Cup top-10 this season. “I honestly didn’t think it was hurting me, I thought I was having a good time, and then all of a sudden, three or four laps in, I thought ‘uh oh, i think i went out a little hard.'”

Disera was able to hold his position at 20th for much of the race, until the final two laps in the seven lap race.

“I tried to settle in and do a little damage control, but at the same time not settle in because I couldn’t let people by easy,” Disera said after the race. “The last two laps were challenging but I tried to put on a good show, go fast down hill and have fun.”

While the last part of the race didn’t pan out as planned, Disera said after finishing  “I was happy to use what I had and take some risks to try up in the top 20.”

Andrew L’Esperance was the next Canadian across the line, finishing 60th. He was followed closely by Mark Andre Fortier in 62nd. Eight spots later, Felix Belhumeur was 70th. Pan American champion Rahpaël Gagné finished 77th. 24Hour world champion Cory Wallace finished 81st.

Schurter rides smooth to eighth world championship title

While much of the field changed positions around him, due to mechanical misfortune or just from trying to keep up with the highly decorated Swiss star, Nino Schurter stayed steady on the front of the elite men’s race.

At times, Henrique Avancini, Mathias Flueckiger and Stephen Tempier pushed to join the Swiss rider on the front, but none could stay there long.

“It’s an amazing victory, it’s so cool winning my eighth title now, and winning here at Mont-Sainte-Anne,” Schurter said of his record-breaking fifth straight world championship victory. “I worked all year towards this goal, and it it is important for next year.”

Tokyo Olympics are just 12 months away and, for Schurter, qualifying isn’t the only concern. The established Swiss racer was also happy to respond to doubts that was still on form, and that the rising start of Mathieu van der Poel might have eclipsed his own.

“At the start of the season people were thinking ‘he’s getting to old now,’ but I’ve tried my best, and I think I’ve improved through my battles with van der Poel,” Schurter said, adding ”

“I know I’m still on top, and I have to take that into [Tokyo] next year. I know I have to be on my best form to keep up with van der Poel, but I showed I can still be on that form,” said Schurter, adding that at the technical Mont-Sainte-Anne course, his absent Dutch rival’s performance would not have been a given.

“I don’t know that he would be able to keep up with us here, but we will see next year, when he is back on the mountain bike.”

After a up-and-down race, fellow Swiss rider Mathias Flueckiger joined Schurter on the podium. Flueckiger, who won the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup in 2018, had been riding on the front with his contryman when a flat tire dropped him back through the ranks. Flueckiger remained calm and focused on working back to the front, not what could have been.

“I didn’t think too much at this time, I just tried to do my job,” Flueckiger said of his flat. “I thought, ‘Oh yeah, that’s really bad’ but I fought back.” But I know from past situations, you have to just focus on the next five meters and not think about what’s past.” Still, he knows it could have been a different race.

“It sucks a little bit, but I’m happy with second place with what bad luck I had.”

Third place rider, France’s Stephen Tempier, was both the victim and beneficiary of mechanical woes. Tempier had been riding forward near the front when a slow leak on the 6th lap forced him to stop in the pits for a rear wheel change.

The French rider was still chasing back in the dying metres of the race when Italian Gerhard Kerschbaumer suffered a catastrophic flat, allowing Tempier to claim the final podium place in third. While Kerschbaumer’s mechanical, just hundreds of metres from the line, was far more dramatic, Tempier noted that the Italian was not the only one who had a flat tire to over come, including second place Flueckiger. “Kerschbaumer was the last one to have trouble,” said Tempier, adding that the Italians was more poorly timed.

With his win in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Nino Schurter will roll into the Olympic year once again wearing the rainbow stripes of world champion.

Asked how long he can possibly stay on top of his sport, the Swiss rider joked, “It’s definitely not getting easier.”

After dropping the first World Cup round to Flueckiger, rumours immediately started that Schurter’s form might finally have found it’s limit. He was happy to put those doubts to rest at Mont-Sainte-Anne.

“At the start of the season people were thinking ‘Oh, he’s getting too old now,’ but I’ve tried my best, and I think I’ve improved through my battles with van der Poel.”

Schurter is back on top and, from the sounds of it, won’t be slowing down any time soon.

“Sometimes it’s not easy when only victories count, but I enjoy being on the front and being chased.”