Start
In 2009, 23-year-old Nino Schurter became the youngest world champion in MTB history. He had already collected dozens of junior and U23 titles by then. A year later, in April 2010, he sprinted past Julien Absalon, six years his senior, in the opening race of the season and took his first World Cup victory. The Frenchman was to become one of his great rivals. Absalon held the World Cup record for a long time with 33 triumphs. Schurter, already the record world champion with ten gold medals, fought for a long time to overtake Julien once again. In June 2023, the time had come in front of a home crowd: the 37-year-old won his 34th World Cup in Lenzerheide and officially crowned himself the GOAT, the "Greatest Of All Time".
The big duels
BIKE: Nino, at 37, 34 is finally here. How great is the relief - or, what is your primary feeling?
NINO SCHURTER: Joy above all. It was tremendous. The last three or four years weren't quite so easy for me. Winning World Cup races was not a matter of course. Last year, after two years without a win, I was able to draw level with Julien and that was very emotional. Then I worked towards 34 for a long time. And to do it at home in front of what I consider to be the best crowd, in this atmosphere, was of course tremendous.
It could have worked out there the year before. You were in a duel with Mathias Flückiger. During one of his overtaking manoeuvres, you crashed. It came to a scandal. He spoke of a normal overtaking manoeuvre, you spoke of unfairness.
Yes, the huge drama. It could have been the perfect fairytale back then. I don't want to say much more about it. Enough has already been written. But yes, I was angry. I'd almost made it - and then I didn't even know if I'd be able to pull it off. But now there was a happy ending.
If you don't want to talk about the duel with Mathias, what about Julien? You beat him in your first World Cup success and now you've beaten his record. Did he congratulate you?
He did. Our relationship was always good, we respected each other a lot. All the duels we had made me better and the sport more enjoyable. Even the first World Cup victory back then: it doesn't get any better than that. He was physically stronger than me, but I was young and explosive. I was already totally knackered, gave it my all again and then it was precisely this explosiveness in the finish. It's precisely these races that are the best afterwards.
What were you like back then as a 23-year-old? Or even before that as a junior spoilt by success?
(Laughs) I was cheeky enough to attack even the greatest. You need that attitude. You have to believe in yourself.
What advice would you give Nino Junior if he were standing next to Nino Senior on the starting line?
He should attack the old Nino, right where it hurts.
Where does it hurt?
Currently on the back.
The great strengths
You've been collecting records and medals for decades now. What makes you so strong?
During the race, I can block out everything else, I'm focussed and, above all, motivated. It's a great strength of mine that I know what I have to do in advance so that I'm mentally ready. It takes a lot. You need a good foundation. It's important for me to know that I've done everything I can and that I'm optimally prepared. You really have to believe in yourself, and that's by no means easy.
Does Nino Schurter ever doubt himself?
Absolutely. I doubt every second. Even in the race. That's the decisive battle against yourself. In Lenzerheide it came up all the time: Can I hold out? Will they catch me? Have I left too early? But you have to try to stay on the positive side. As soon as you get to the negative side, you've lost.
You are considered a perfectionist. Is the bike set-up another piece of the puzzle that has to be right?
Absolutely. The material is important and has to fit. I'm always trying to find things that I might be able to do earlier than others. We are constantly tinkering. Whether with tyres or currently with the suspension. You like to think: it can't get any better, you can't reinvent the wheel. And then it goes on and on. It gives me great pleasure to be involved in technological developments at an early stage. I can still remember Frischi saying that he would never ride disc brakes (laughs). Later, he led the way with wheel sizes. Or more recently with Srams Eagle Transmission. I was involved in that for years. And as I said, currently with the suspension. For me, it's a huge motivation to be part of the industry and play a part in shaping what will later become an integral part of the bike world.
What else motivates you? What about pressure? Your home turf, Lenzerheide, at least seems to inspire you!
Yes, I just need that atmosphere, that I can give my all. When I can feel the enthusiasm of the people, I can still keep up with the youngsters. If it's missing, like the following week in Leogang, I find it hard to motivate myself.
Are you enjoying your fame?
Of course there are moments that I enjoy. When so many people cheer you on. When you feel that you touch these people with what you do. I really appreciate that. But like everything in life, being in the spotlight doesn't just have its advantages.
The great role models
Another building block for you seems to be the team. You have been working with most of the people around you for many years.
I was lucky to have met the right people so early on. I've had my management for 15 years. Nicolas Siegenthaler brought me onto his team in 2001, he's been my coach ever since, and I've been riding for Scott ever since. The Scott SRAM team was founded in 2002. I didn't make the team in the first year because I was probably too much of a rascal (laughs). The following year I was accepted and I've been working with Thomas Frischknecht ever since.
Thomas "Frischi" Frischknecht was one of the first great mountain bikers and had a huge influence on the sport in the eighties and early nineties. With 17 victories, he ranks third in the all-time World Cup list. He can no longer be a threat to you. As your team manager, he had tears in his eyes in Lenzerheide. What is your relationship?
He is the one who makes sure that I have a great environment. And of course, he is certainly a great mentor for me. He showed me that biking can be more than just a hobby. I can well remember the first time I met him at a kids' camp. I wouldn't have tried it all without him. But the sport as a whole wouldn't be what it is today without him. Apart from that, we're very similar types. We like to eat good things, we like to drink good things, we have a similar lifestyle. But that can also harbour dangers. We're both alpha animals. It's good that we know that and give each other the space we need.
What role did your father and your brother Mario play?
We grew up in Tersnaus, a very small village in the Surselva, and that was very cool. We spent a lot of time outdoors, whizzing through the village on our BMX bikes, building jumps and cycling the four kilometres to school. Mario and I both rode cross-country races. He was a great talent. Then he broke his foot and never really came back. He switched to downhill. There were weekends when my dad went to a downhill event with my brother and my mum went to a CC event with me.
Your father Ernst used to be a professional ice hockey player and later coached the Swiss downhill team for a few years.
And he became the senior downhill world champion in 2009. I had to follow suit. Two weeks later, I became elite world champion for the first time. But downhill sport never appealed to you? Cross country is simply the discipline that I find the coolest. I like this combination of endurance and technique. I've tried downhill, but those three-minute race times never really appealed to me. In cross country, you can still make small mistakes and correct them. I also did enduro races for fun, but I missed the atmosphere and I just need that. The road appealed to me, but I quickly realised that it wasn't my vibe.
The big question
How much longer will the GOAT (Greatest of all time) be on the road?
(Laughs) This question was Frischi's idea. He said in an interview that I could slowly stop setting records now. But that's not planned. Lenzerheide was probably my last time at the start because it has to take a break as a World Cup venue next year.
So they'll still see you in 2024?
I hope that people will still see me. And I also hope that people will still see me at the front. I'm really looking forward to the big races. I'm still very much living in 2023 at the moment, but the Olympic Games are already on my mind. Nevertheless, it will be tough for us Swiss to qualify.
Are you at least starting to make plans?
I don't know exactly what I'm going to do yet. I want to give myself some time. But I already have a few projects, such as the Bike Revolution.
This is a Swiss MTB event series that you launched together with former World Cup rider Ralph Näf, who is now Mathias Flückiger's team manager. How did the idea come about?
The idea came from Ralph and another Swiss bike veteran, René Walker. I got involved because I think it's important to push the sport of mountain biking, especially in Switzerland, and to promote it with great events. The sport has grown and we believe that between what already exists and the World Cups, there is still room for events with the whole mountain bike community. There are elite races with high prize money as well as gusto rides, workshops and kids' races. In Chur, we had 12,000 visitors in the centre of the city. This is exactly the atmosphere we want to create. That many people come together and celebrate this sport.
What else is tempting?
I have a strong connection to Scott and Sram and it's almost clear that this will continue. That really appeals to me. But I also want to have two or three years after the end of my CC career to do the things that I haven't had time for over the years because the calendar is so demanding.
And that would be?
Racing (laughs). Marathons, cool events, all sorts of things.
So we'll see you alongside Peter Sagan in a gravel race?
Maybe that too.
And in E-MTB races?
That appeals to me just as much. I want to see a lot of things, there are so many great disciplines on two wheels.
How do you view the current development of bike sports? Cross country, downhill, enduro and e-MTB are moving closer together.
In principle, I think that's a good thing, but we have to make sure that every discipline has its place and that nobody is left behind.
What would you change?
There are a few things that could be tweaked. One point is certainly that the number of drivers should be reduced somewhat. There are 24 drivers in Formula 1, around 60 in ski racing and 140 in some of our races. Maybe there needs to be a second great series.
Who will dominate cross-country in the future?
Phew. That's difficult. I have a feeling that it could be Puck Pieterse in the women's competition. In the men's race, it's more difficult to pick a dominator with so much talent. Tom Pidcock would certainly have what it takes, but there's also the road for him.
Does your seven-year-old daughter Lisa have what it takes to follow in your footsteps?
Yes, she rode the kids' races at the Bike Revolution in Chur and Engelberg. She's not yet the competitive type and is also happy when she doesn't win. However, she finished on the podium for the first time at the Bike Kingdom DH Kids Cup in Lenzerheide and was really proud. No, I don't expect her to do that at all. However, she recently said that she could take over my career if I were to stop.
The fastest bike in the world
Nino only lets legendary mechanic Yanick "The Mechanic" Gyger work on his bikes. The tuning specialist explains the highlights of the SCOTT N1NO Spark RC racing bike.
1 Chassis system: In Lenzerheide, Nino was the first CC rider ever to ride with the Rockshox Flight Attendant system - a fully automatic suspension control system that reacts in real time.
2 Weight: The frame weight with shock and all small parts is 1870 g, the total weight of the bike is 10.76 kg, including the Rockshox-Flight-Attendant-System.
3 Brakes: Sram Level 180 mm front, 160 mm rear. I have had a special machine made with which I brake in the pad and disc, i.e. grind them in and gas them out. This gives us a significantly higher braking performance.
4 Translation: Nino always tries to ride a 38 t chainring or even a 40 t in order to get as much pressure as possible onto the chain.
5 Bottom bracket: I tune the ceramic bottom bracket from Sram with special oils and greases to minimise resistance on the bottom bracket. The maintenance of all bearings is absolutely essential. I also take Nino's bike completely apart after every race. It's a big effort. But it's worth it.
6 Tax rate: Nino is currently travelling at 0 degrees, last year it was -0.6 degrees. We took our time and did a lot of testing. Now the bike is a bit smoother and smoother.
7 Syncros customised handlebars: The handlebar/stem unit is 700 mm wide, has a stem length of 80 mm and an angle of minus 40 degrees. The unit was specially developed for Nino. It is 3D-scanned and precisely adjusted to the optimum position for him.
8 Wheels and tyres: Nino rides 30 mm wide rims from Syncros and 2.4" Maxxis tyres. The air pressure is 1.2 bar at the front and 1.25 bar at the rear - without tyre noodles.
9 Sram drivetrain: Nino rides the new XX-SL transmission drive. I put the chain in oil, let it soak in for four hours and lubricate it again. I don't use wax or dry lubricants.
10 Paintwork: To save weight, we apply as little colour as possible. That's why we don't use white. It is the heaviest colour because it has to be painted several times. This makes a difference of 150-200 g.
11 Head tube angle: 65.8 degrees - the flat angle provides more stability and control at higher speeds - which is exactly what Nino likes.
VITA by Nino Schurter
Nino Schurter, born on 13 May 1986, grew up with two older siblings in a small village with around 70 inhabitants in the canton of Graubünden. Even as a junior, he showed internationally that a special talent was growing up here. In 2022, he became elite world champion for the tenth time in Les Gets, he has won the overall World Cup eight times, at the Olympic Games he took bronze in 2008, silver in 2012 and finally gold in 2016, and he now also holds the all-time record with 35 World Cup victories. Nino lives in Chur and has a daughter, Lisa. In spring this year, he announced his separation from his wife Nina, to whom he has been married since 2014.
