The Swiss relay team of Marc Stutzmann, Andrin Beeli, Jolanda Neff and Ralph Näf finished 2.38 minutes behind the victorious Italians, who won the race in a sprint against the French. The German relay team came third.

Switzerland is already behind with Marc Stutzmann at the start. He got into a scramble on the first climb, had to get off his bike and lost the connection. "I really wanted to get back to the front, but I probably used too much energy," says the U23 rider at the finish. He was 1:55 minutes behind Marco Fontana, who laid the foundations for the Italians to win on the start lap. The Swiss junior Andrin Beeli also had problems in the following stages. The Swiss champion crashes in a slippery corner and loses another 45 seconds on the Italian fast train. The Swiss are in 11th place at this point.

Jolanda Neff is the third rider to try and pull the coal out of the fire and makes up five places on her lap. "I tried to pace myself well during the race, and it worked," she explains at the finish. She hands over to Ralph Näf in 6th position in the hope that he will take the medal that is still in sight. "I have to say, I didn't think it was possible that we would still be riding for bronze," Näf later admits. He had to let the German Manuel Fumic overtake him in the race. The Canadian final rider Sandra Walker was also unable to catch Näf.

Nino Schurter will not be taking part in the relay race as he is concentrating fully on the cross-country race on Saturday.

Mountain bike world championships 2013, team relay:
1st Italy (Fontana/Bertolini/Lechner/Kerschbaumer), 0.58:12
2nd France (Sarrou/Gay/Bresset/Marotte), +0.00
3rd Germany (Schulte-Lünzum/Egger/Klein/Fumic), +2:21
4th Canada (Disera/Zandstra/Bailey/Walter), +2:32
5th Switzerland (Stutzmann/Beeli/Neff/Näf), +2:38

Mountain bike world championships 2013, program:

Wednesday, August 28
18.00: Cross-Country Team Relay World Championships

Thursday, August 29
09.30 am: Junior Cross Country
11.30 am: Cross country juniors

Friday, August 30
10.00 am: Downhill juniors
13.00: Cross Country Women U23
15.15 hrs: Cross Country Men U23

Saturday, August 31
12.30 pm: Cross Country Women's Elite
15:00: Cross country men's elite

Sunday, September 1, September 01
11.00 am: Cross Country Eliminator Women and Men
14.00: Downhill women's elite
15.00 hrs: Downhill men's elite