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News
2012 World Cup Champion -- Ritchey Sponsored, Nino SchurterJuly 30, 2012
Nino Schurter further justifies our World Championship Series (WCS) moniker with his outstanding performance and overall win of the World Cup circuit while racing on Ritchey Bar, Stem, Post, Saddle and Pedals. Congrats to the champion from all of us at Ritchey!
Nino Schurter is on a wave towards his career highlight. One success follows the next one. The newest coup: World cup champion 2012 and victory nr. 4 in the 2012 world cup. For some time it even looked like there are going to be two SCOTT- Swisspower riders on the podium. Florian Vogel had an excellent first half- but unfortunately had to slow down due to cramps. He finished in 6th.
Nino is on track for the big event in two weeks. Everything runs prefect the way he planed it out. But not just by luck! He invested a lot to lay it out the way it is now. The world cup finals put him definitely into the favorite position. World champion Jaroslav Kulhavy was only placed in 13th. Julien Absalon even had to quit the race after a crash. Schurter’s statement to his favorite role: “I look for myself only. Try to be at my best. I don’t care so much about the other rider’s performance. Sure the pressure is on now, but usually I can deal with it quite well. We will see what is going to happen. One thing is for sure. I’m really looking forward to it.”
The final of the world cup was a big deal for Nino. First he wanted to secure the overall title against Burry Stander. And second, not less important, he wanted to find his confidence to be on the right track. He set a pace right from the start that no one was able to follow. After lap one it locked like Absalon-Kulhavy and Stander were already beaten. Only Marco Aurelio Fontana and Florian Vogel closed the gap to the leader. What a great moment this was to have two SCOTT-Swisspower riders in the three men-leading group. Unfortunately Florian was fading towards the end due to cramps in his legs. He had to let Lukas Flückiger, Jose Antonio Hermida and Manuel Fumic by. “The cramps are a new experience to me. Don’t really know where they come from. At least I felt strong in the first have of the race. Otherwise it would not have been possible to close the gap to Nino.” Sad a bit frustrated Vogel. Whoever saw him riding knows that he is very close to his best shape. And than everything is possible with this guy!
It was Italian champion Marco Aurelio Fontana who was the strongest contender for Nino. But last lap Nino secured his victory with a strong attack uphill. Last half lap Lukas Flückiger even overtook Fontana. It’s a shame second place finisher Flückiger cannot participate at Olympics…
Overall 2012: Fontana-Stander-Schurter-Kulhavy-Hermida The winner of the day and the world cup season (his worst result was a 2nd place) said with a smile: “ It’s amazing how one highlight beats the other. Swiss champion- world cup champion- tough, I have only one thing in mind right now. London! Most of the work is done now. The new bike is ready to race. Now I just need to recover well and be ready for the big day.”
At Swiss nationals and the world cup finals the new SRAM XX1 groupo was at works. Only one chain ring in the front (36) and 11 gears in at the rear (11-42). Together with the SCOTT Scale 27.5 a real weapon for the upcoming battle.
Photos by: Maasewerd/Küstenbrück/Jaramillo/Frischi With a very good 30th place Marcel Wildhaber leaves the MTB scene for now and will concentrate on the cyclo-cross again. After a slow start he used his cross -skills to move up towards the end. |
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