Lars Forster takes the crown as European Champion again!
It's clear that the blue and white jersey with the yellow stars is a SCOTT-SRAM team affair. Already taking the crown in 2018, Lars Forster showed his best form on Serbian soil to take back the prestigious title from fellow teammate, Nino Schurter.
Novi Sad, Serbia. With the Tokyo Olympics in the books, the season continues with many stories still to be written. The first huge highlight was achieved by Lars Forster winning the European Championships in Serbia this past weekend. Even though some of the riders who participated at the Olympic Games were missing, the title was hard-earned by a determined Forster who already wore the jersey in 2018. The win is a hopeful sign of a strong second half of the season still to come for SCOTT-SRAM!
Back on Track
It has been a season with a lot of ups and downs for Lars Forster. He kicked it off on a high note winning the first big race of the season, the Internazionali d'Italia in Andora. After that the ambitions were high for the World Cup and the Olympic qualification that went along with it. Lars did not perform as he had hoped and narrowly missed the Tokyo Olympics. Such a disappointment is not easy to overcome and Lars was struggling with the missed opportunity. Meanwhile, he focused on what was to come and found success winning some smaller races like the Swiss Cup in Savognin and a week ago in Dornbirn, Austria, which has helped him find his confidence. With time and patience, it's clear Lars is a force to be reckoned with for the important races still ahead this season!
Perfect Race
It was the perfect race for Lars. Even though there was a bigger group of 10 riders in the lead of the not-so-selective course, he never lost control, always staying in the top positions and even setting a higher pace to stretch out the field. It was obvious while watching - Lars was at his best. And like that, it's clear he is always dangerous for the win, no matter the race. Everything played out just fine when he attacked with half a lap to go to get ahead on his last two competitors, Sebastian Fini from Denmark and Swiss teammate, Filipo Colombo. Crossing the finish line in first was a huge relief for the 28-year-old Swiss!
"It's been a roller coaster this season. Missing out on the Olympics was tough and difficult to overcome at first. Believing in myself and having people around me helping me in this direction brought me back to what I achieved today. This is more than just a second European Champion title to me. This is the turnaround to get me back where I want to be."
— Lars Forster, European Champion 2018 & 2021, SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing
Silver - Sebastian Fini (Denmark), Gold - Lars Forster (SCOTT-SRAM, Switzerland), Bronze - Filipo Colombo (Switzerland)
The ALL-NEW Spark RC
Lars Forster won the 2021 European Championships on the all-new SCOTT Spark RC World Cup. For 2022, the all-new Spark is set to continue this heritage on race tracks all around the world for years to come, with several key updates including the integrated shock, semi-integrated cables, updated geometry and extended travel to 120mm. Racing will never be the same.