"Racing inspires people"
Nino Schurter and SCOTT-Odlo MTB Racing spend quite a decent amount of time in South Africa and California preparing for the upcoming World Cup season. The 3x World Champion talks us through his first races, impressions from overseas and his personal highlights.
Four races, four wins- could the 2015 season have kicked-off any better than this for you?
"It's true, my wins at Monte Tamaro/Switzerland, the US-Cups at Bonelli and Sea Otter plus the Short Track race there proved that I am in shape for the upcoming World Cup Season. Also, with the Training Camps in South Africa and California, me and the team couldn`t ask for a better preparation in the pre-olympic year."
What are the most important things to take care of in a pre-olympic year?
"First of all, the long-term planning and preparation is a major focus. All we do has just one goal: to be ultimately fit at the race in Rio in 2016. That`s quite a simple phrase, but actually involves serious planning and coordination in terms of training, timing and setting the right pace. By the way, every athlete has to qualify first. That`s why two World Cup races will have a special importance this year to me: the World Cups in Mont Sainte Anne and Windham. A top 5 result on those events or a top 3 overall World Cup raking provides me an early qualification."
SCOTT-Odlo MTB Racing training on one of the finest single tracks South Africa has to offer: Jonkershoek.
Tell us through your impressions of the US spring races.
"It felt definitely good to bike and race where Mountain biking was born. The Bonelli Cup was awesome, we all hope that Bonelli will get a XC World Cup next year. Together with Sea Otter, this would give the US XC community a huge boost. At the Sea Otter Classic, my team mate Jenny Rissveds and I competed in four races, and it resulted in 4 podiums- It was a huge team effort and with the help of the guys of SCOTT 3ROX Racing, I could even win the XC race. It was a very cool experience to race at the Laguna Seca race circuit near Monterey!"
Nino Schurter winning the XC race at Sea Otter, California.
What about the festival itself?
"Sea Otter itself feels like the World`s biggest bike festival with thousands of bikers and spectators. There were actually 15 000 racers signed-in for all kinds of disciplines. It was good to see that racing is inspiring people more than ever before. I was also impressed about the crazy characters you meet at Sea Otter- you can feel being very close to the epi-centre of where Tom Ritchey and Co. got the ball rolling for our sport. Sea Otter is definitely worth a trip! Sea Otter was also special for me, because we launched “Work hard, Play hard” while being there, the first chapter of my new webisode called “N1NO – The Hunt for Glory”."
Nino Schurter giving it all at the Filming for "N1NO - The Hunt for Glory", Nino`s 1st webisode project.
What was the best thing bikers should not miss when visiting California?
"I was lucky enough to visit Tom Ritchey, our long-time co-sponsor. He showed us the place where he mounted the first big tires on a bicycle and took us to the single tracks where Mountain biking was born. The hills around Palo Alto, Santa Cruz and San Francisco are truly inspiring. And the trails belong still to some of the best in the world. But California has so much more to offer: Laguna Beach is a trail paradise, Monterey area is unbelievable and there is no need to mention Santa Cruz… "
Tom Ritchey shows Thomas Frischknecht and Nino Schurter one of his legendary first mountain bikes...
What`s next and what are your expectations and your primarily focus in 2015?
"Just before the first World Cup in Nove Mesto / CZ, may 23rd -24th starts, there is the famous race in Heubach /GER, which is the final test till it gets really serious. Like I mentioned, the Olympic XC race in Rio is what it`s all about already today. For sure I want to win the World Championship (Valnord, Andorra, Sept. 1st-6th) and get back the Rainbow jersey from Julien Absalon. I assume we`ll again see an exciting battle between Absalon and me throughout the season. But there are strong guys on the same level, too: Manuel Fumic or Jaroslav Kulhavy for instance. In the end, Cross-Country Racing is unpredictable. However, when I`m at a start line, I want to win."
...and some of the single tracks near his home at Skyline, Palo Alto, where Mountain Biking started.
