Pidcock and Richards make the British flight of fancy in Chur
Pure spectacle in the Grisons capital of Chur. The town center was transformed into a mountain bike mecca as part of the ÖKK BIKE REVOLUTION. One week before the start of the World Cup in Nove Mesto, athletes from 24 nations came to Chur. These included mountain bikers from China, Japan, Australia, Iran and Namibia.
The Europeans set the tone, however, with the British leading the way. As if inspired by the coronation of King Charles III the day before, Evie Richards and Thomas Pidcock showed just how strong their form is. In the women's race, Richards took the lead on the third of eight laps, steadily extended it and celebrated an unchallenged victory in the end. She rode a proud 1 minute and 45 seconds clear of world champion Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France) and Sina Frei (Switzerland). The two finished second and third respectively.
The elite men's race was more dramatic. Mountain bike fans stood shoulder to shoulder in the center of Chur to watch their favorites. First and foremost, of course, local hero and world champion Nino Schurter. They all enjoyed a great city spectacle. Small groups kept forming on the fast circuit, taking turns in the lead, pulling out short gaps and then being caught again at the end. The English Olympic champion Thomas Pidcock was always there but never at the front. That changed on lap six of nine. With a spirited attack, he broke away from the leading group and was immediately able to pull away a few meters.
The riders behind were unsure for a while whether and how to react to the attack. The preliminary decision? No, because Mathias Flückiger from Bern, who had already won the opening race of the ÖKK BIKE REVOLUTION in Rivera, was the first to take heart and chased Pidcock alone. Flückiger was able to catch up on the seventh lap. The two cracks gave each other nothing in the last three laps. In the end, Pidcock had the most reserves and celebrated his first big win of the season in honor of his new king. Behind Flückiger, Nino Schurter crossed the finish line in third place to deafening cheers from the fans.The second round of the ÖKK BIKE REVOLUTION was a magnificent mountain bike festival. In addition to the elite races, over 700 bikers rode in various races and age groups throughout the weekend in Chur. The third round of the popular Swiss mountain bike series will take place in Engelberg on May 27/28.
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