Nino Schurter puts in his usual strong performance in the last World Cup race of the week - of the season. The world champion keeps the pace high right from the start and forms a leading group early on, which also includes Thomas Litscher. He loses touch after a mishap on the second lap. Instead, Filippo Colombo joins the leading group and the chasing group is also well populated with Lars Forster and Mathias Flückiger. The latter skipped the second short track race to recover from his stomach problems - currently with success.

The leading group was up to eleven riders strong on lap five, but Schurter now let the others do the work and rode along in a controlled manner, while Dutchman Milan Vader set the pace. Again and again the group splits up and comes back together. The Dane Simon Andreassen, the surprise winner of the first race, was badly affected by this hand organ.
But there are also increasing gaps among the chasers. Flückiger emerges not far behind the German Maximilian Brandl and Andreassen in 14th place, Forster follows in 16th position.

Schurter pushes the pace again on lap six and the leading group shrinks once more. However, Colombo also falls victim to this speed dictate.
Schurter attacks again on the last lap. Avancini and Vader are able to follow, after which a gap opens up again. But Victor Koretzky and Stephane Tempier also close the gap again. The last lap is exciting and two more riders, Alan Hatherly and Jordan Sarrou, close the gap.

Leg to leg, it almost gets hairy as they enter the stadium, and Avancini seemed to want to let his legs hang down before, but now he goes all out. Schurter is briefly trapped at the start, but closes the gap and a sprint ensues between him, Avancini, Vader and Victor Koretzky. A photo finish that goes in favor of the Brazilian. Milan Vader finishes second, Schurter third. Behind Koretzky, South African Alan Hatherly sprinted to fifth place and the final podium spot.

"I've been trying to win a cross-country World Cup for around three years and now my long-awaited dream has come true," says Avancini, adding with tears of joy in his eyes and a trembling voice: "Many people doubted that I would ever make it. But I've shown that if you really pursue your dreams and work hard, you can achieve them."

"It was a very fast race, also thanks to the conditions. It was very tactical and I tried to make the race fast, but I couldn't hold off the others. I made the wrong decision on the last climb and rode behind Vader. He was a bit too slow and blocked me, I slipped down to third and couldn't overtake properly. It just wasn't enough on the last straight," said Schurter, analyzing the race. "Third is good, but I wanted to win the race, also to finally beat Julien Absalon's record for a World Cup win!"

In tenth place, Filippo Colombo improves again after a strong race and finishes his second World Cup race in the elite class in tenth place. A little behind in twelfth place, Lars Forster finds a conciliatory World Cup finish. Mathias Flückiger loses some ground again, but still manages 17th place, while Thomas Litscher recovers a little and finishes 19th.

Albin third again

In the U23 men's race, Joel Roth comes back first from the starting lap with six colleagues, including Fabio Püntener. Alexandre Balmer and Vital Albin do not have the best start. However, Albin soon catches up and is in the lead on lap two with Thomas Pidcock (GBR), Christopher Blevins (USA) and Joel Roth. The Brit made himself scarce on lap four, but Blevins managed to keep the gap in check over two laps while Albin and Roth were out of striking distance.

On the last lap, the American breaks away a little, which is the final decision for the consistently riding Pidcock. Blevin's collapse comes too late for Vital Albin, but he is able to break away from Roth and secure third place - Roth finishes fourth.
Alexandre Balmer and Fabio Püntener finish 14th and 15th respectively.

Results World Cup 2 Nove Mesto, elite men

1. Henrique Avancini (BRA)
2. Milan Vader (NED)
3. Nino Schurter (SUI)
4th Victor Koretzky (FRA)
5th Alan Hatherly (RSA)
6th Jordan Sarrou (FRA)
7th Stephane Tempier (FRA)
8. Thomas Griot (FRA)
9th Maximilian Brandl (GER)
10th Filippo Colombo (SUI)
12th Lars Forster (SUI)
17th Mathias Flückiger
19th Thomas Litscher (SUI)
22nd Marcel Guerrini (SUI)
28th Lukas Flückiger (SUI)
33rd Andri Frischknecht (SUI)
34th Matthias Stirnemann (SUI)
42nd Simon Vitzthum (SUI)
46th Reto Indergand (SUI)
58th Andrin Beeli (SUI)
63rd Fabian Giger (SUI)
65th Florian Chenaux (SUI)
69th Joris Ryf (SUI)
74th Noah Blöchlinger (SUI)
89th Kevin Krieg (SUI)

Results World Cup 2 Nove Mesto, U23 men

1. Thomas Pidcock (GBR)
2nd Christopher Blevins (USA)
3. Vital Albin (SUI)
4th Joel Roth (SUI)
5. Simone Avondetto (ITA)
6th Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (CHI)
7th David List (GER)
8. Sean Fincham (CAN)
9th Mathis Azzaro (FRA)
10th Basile Allard (FRA)
14th Alexandre Balmer (SUI)
15th Fabio Püntener (SUI)
17th Luca Schätti (SUI)
18th Loris Rouiller (SUI)
19th Nick Burki (SUI)
20th Fabio Spena (SUI)
52nd Nils Brun (SUI)
53rd Jan Sommer (SUI)

Full rankings