Nino Schurter (35) sits relaxed with a cappuccino at the hotel bar in Leogang. A few days before the Swiss rider's New competition bikewhich he will also use at the Olympics in Tokyo, for the first time in a World Cup race. We spoke to him during the Presentation of the new Scott Spark spoken.
BIKE: Nino, you've been the dominant rider in recent years, but you're still one World Cup win away from equalling Julien Absalon's record of 33 World Cup victories. Now, of all times, a whole bunch of young riders are coming to keep you in check. At the moment, it doesn't look like you'll be able to break Absalon's record any time soon. Does that annoy you?
Nino Schurter: Absolutely not. On the contrary. The strong competition in the World Cup field this year is motivating. My career has always been characterised by strong competition. Kulhavy, Absalon, van der Poel have always been opponents for me, who have also motivated me to get even more out of myself. And it's the same now.
The new all-rounders like Pidcock and van der Poel are stealing the show. In winter, they race cyclocross competitions at the highest level, in spring they win the classics on the road. Then they quickly shake up the MTB World Cup before taking part in the Tour de France, as in van der Poel's case. In contrast, your programme with a few World Cups and the Olympic Games seems almost relaxed. From the outside looking in, one wonders how an athlete can pull off such a world-class programme?
Smiles. I don't know how the boys do it either. I certainly couldn't reel off a programme like that. But I'm also pretty sure that van der Poel won't be able to keep up the programme he's currently doing forever. I've been in the World Cup business for quite a long time and if I've learnt anything, it's that my body also needs certain rest phases. Every body is different, but I think van der Poel will also come to the point where he has to focus on one sport. The performance he has shown in recent years has been extreme, I don't want to diminish that at all. With Pidcock, a second very young rider with similar all-round talent is now coming through. However, I don't believe that riders who ride at world-class level in several disciplines will be a widespread phenomenon in the future. These are exceptional athletes who really utilise their talent to the full.
What goes through Nino Schurter's mind when he sees Pidcock and van der Poel on TV riding and winning road and cyclocross races?
I don't begrudge the boys their success in all disciplines. I'm not envious of them at all. When I watch races like this, I might switch off the TV afterwards and go and play with my daughter without thinking too much about van der Poel or Pidcock. Perhaps my family is also a factor in why I take things more lightly than the youngest generation of all-rounders. When Pidcock and van der Poel have a family, they will certainly want to enjoy a weekend or two at home. At the moment, the boys are still at a different stage in their lives and it's completely understandable that they want to make the most of their talent. I want that too, but in order to deliver a top performance on the racetrack, I also have to have a fulfilling private life and take my rest periods.
Road cycling still has a much bigger fan base than the MTB World Cup. Do you think that riders like van der Poel or Pidcock will take mountain biking to the next level in terms of public perception?
Sure, the boys give our sport another level of attention. But you also have to say that the development of the sport has been brilliant in recent years anyway. The Red Bull TV broadcasts are great and well received. Outdoor sport in general is booming. The fan numbers for racing are increasing. I think we can look forward to a good future. The next step for racing will be for sponsors from outside the industry to get involved in the World Cup. Van der Poel and Pidcock are certainly already sending the right signals with their teams.
You've won everything there is to win in your life. The 2021 World Cup opener in Albstadt, Nove Mesto and Leogang didn't go ideally for an athlete in your class. How are you going to motivate yourself to get everything out of your body once again and make it onto the podium?
Just because I haven't finished at the top of the podium in three races now doesn't make me completely nervous. I have so much experience by now that I know that it only takes a little to get back to the top from my current position. I'm not going to rush through my training now. One thing is clear: it won't be easy. I'm not getting any younger. But I'm confident that I'll get back to my best form over the course of the season. My successes in the past give me a certain amount of confidence with regard to the next season. Olympic Games.
So you're not going to put in any extra training sessions like Rocky Balboa to get back to the top of the podium?
Smiles again. I've been a professional for 15 years now. I know which training sessions work for me and which don't. And as I said, I also know that it's only tiny little things that ultimately make the difference between tenth place and victory. I'm working on these little things. I was second in Albstadt. There was very little missing for victory. My general form is right. I have a plan and I'm not going to throw it overboard because of one mediocre race.
What is your plan until the Olympic Games in Tokyo?
After the World Cup in Leogang, I'm going to an altitude training camp for three weeks. I have an altitude chamber at home where I'll be sleeping at a simulated altitude level for the next three weeks. Then comes the World Cup in Les Gets and after that I'll have a training camp to try and get used to the heat that will most likely be there in Tokyo. I did a similar programme before the Olympic Games in Rio and it worked.
Let's talk about the general development of the sport. Race tracks are becoming more and more extreme. Your sponsor Scott has now shown a race bike with 120 millimetres of suspension travel to meet this trend. Are the tracks now even too technical?
I think it's important not to lose the sense of proportion when developing the sport. Spectators want spectacular scenes. They also want to see a crash. That's understandable and all riders are prepared to take risks in the technical sections. However, if at some point it becomes all about the skills on the bike and no longer about who is the most complete rider, then that would be an exaggeration. Cross country must remain a sport in which the most complete rider wins. Physique is an important aspect that must never take a back seat. But I don't see any problems at the moment. The different characters of the current World Cup courses really demand absolute all-rounders.
You used to be the technically superior rider. Today, your rivals are giving you a run for your money downhill. Do you have to take more risks now to get back to the top of the podium?
You don't win a race on the downhill. For my part, I know how much I can risk in the key sections without crashing and I think my competitors know that too. If I exceed the limit, I also see an increased risk of defects. As I said, the most complete rider wins in cross country, which is why I don't just concentrate on the downhill and never push myself to the limit on the downhill.
Nino, thank you for your answers and good luck for the rest of the season.
