From the outside, it looks like Lars Forster is taking a measured approach to the race. He is in fifth or sixth place for the time being and is ten seconds off the lead. "No," Forster explains after the race, "I couldn't keep up with their pace at the start." But the Swiss rider sensed early on that he had an advantage in the technical sections. "I didn't even try to ride full throttle on the mountain, but instead relied on my technique to catch up," says Forster about his strategy. After his rivals had run their course, it became easier for Forster. He took over the leading position and at the end of the third of seven laps he opened up a small gap, which he slowly extended over Carod. "It worked out perfectly. A victory in front of a home crowd and then the white leader's jersey, that's really cool," he says with a beaming face that perfectly matches the sun in Lenzerheide.

Florian Chenaux rides a smart race and ultimately battles with the German U23 champion Georg Egger for tenth place on the last lap. Although Chenaux lost the duel by just 15 seconds to Egger, he can still celebrate his best U23 World Cup result to date in eleventh place (+3:46). Andri Frischknecht rides in ninth place, but loses ground in the last three laps and ends up 16th (+4:19).