Nino Schurter bags 34th World Cup win, becomes the GOAT in the process
34 World Cup wins, eight World Cup overall titles, Olympic Gold
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At the weekend’s Swiss UCI mountain bike event in Lenzerheide, Nino Schurter won his 34th World Cup race. That makes him the winningest elite men’s rider, besting Julien Absalon’s record. In typical Schurter style, the margin of victory was immense, but not without drama. Schurter clashed with New Zealand’s Sam Gaze in the short track event, which relegated him to a disadvantaged start position for the main race.
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Despite rolling out of the start chute in row two, Schurter would never disappoint his Swiss fans. Since equalling Absalon’s record with a win in Brazil last season, the record-breaking ride has remained frustratingly beyond Schurter’s ambition. He would have loved to secure it during last season’s Lenzerheide round, but an entanglement, crash and confrontation with fellow Swiss, Mathias Flueckiger, turned that opportunity to ruin.
Some would argue that his composure and patience, having to wait a season to attain his 34th win, is a worthy testament to Schurter’s status as the greatest mountain biker.
The numbers are astounding
With 34 World Cup wins, eight World Cup overall titles, 10 World Championships, an Olympic gold medal and two Cape Epic victories. It’s a palmarès which unquestionably, will never be equalled. And what makes Schurter’s achievements so notable is that he has won on every terrain type, in all climate conditions, and aboard all three mountain biking wheel sizes.
2023 nino schurter lenzerheide riding.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Schurter’s power was dominantly on display in Lenzerheide, during his 34th UCI World Cup win. It is uncanny for a 37-year-old, to be so dominant in the brutal domain of XCO format mountain biking, where short bursts of power are required. XCO racers usually peak at or around 30, but Schurter’s showing no sign of ceding his dominance.
No other rider has been as significant in XCO and XCM mountain biking. Although Schurter only has two Cape Epic wins from eight starts, he could easily have achieved five. The inability of teammates to match Schurter’s pace and endurance has been the undoing of his Cape Epic campaigns, but also a testament to his colossal riding ability on stages way beyond the conventional XCO race.
Mountain bike icons: Nino Schurter, by Scott-SRAM
Unique longevity and dominant competitive ability aside, Schurter’s riding career has been textured with style. And a very transparent approach to bike choice.
As XCO courses have evolved, with more technically challenging descents, Schurter’s unrivalled bike skills have triumphed. Whether it’s jumping with a tail whip or crushing the fastest and riskiest line through a rock garden, Schurter does it all with aplomb.
Winning on all the wheel sizes
For purist mountain biking fans, who geek out on the sport’s technical details, Schurter’s legacy is enshrined by his multi-platform wins. That first UCI World Championship, back in 2009, was on a 26-inch-wheeled Scott. For the next few years, Schurter’s refused to be swayed by the trend to 29ers, preferring the geometry and agility of a 27.5-inch wheeled mountain bike. And he kept winning, regardless of rivals being on bikes with larger wheels.
2023 scott sram spark nino schurter hero.jpg, by Liam Mercer
It was only in 2016, that Schurter finally migrated to a 29-inch wheeled mountain bike platform. Schurter refused to ride a 29er until one suited his geometry requirements. His decision to remain on a 27.5-inch wheel size, long after all his rivals had moved to 29ers, speaks to his belief in personal feel and trail feedback, as opposed to marketing pressures or trends.
What remains for the greatest cross-country rider and racer to achieve? Schurter had a disappointing Tokyo Olympics. He had never finished outside a medal placing in his previous three Olympic events, and his fourth place in Tokyo was considered a failure.
Gold in Paris is clearly the purpose for Schurter, and on his current trajectory of form, that is not only achievable, but it also appears to be destiny.
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