Nino Schurter began his international career in cross-country mountain biking as a junior and attracted attention early on with strong results. He won world championship titles in the junior categories before seamlessly moving up to the elite class.
There he quickly developed into a dominant rider in the Cross-Country World Cup. Nino Schurter made his breakthrough on the global stage with several world championship titles from 2009 onwards, which he has defended time and again over the years.
His consistency is particularly remarkable: while many competitors have changed over the years, he has remained a key benchmark in cross country and has repeatedly set new standards in technique and racing tactics for his sponsor Scott.
For more than a decade, he was one of the absolute best in the world and won numerous overall rankings in the World Cup. One of the highlights of his career was his Olympic victory at the 2016 Summer Olympics, having previously won silver (2012) and bronze (2008).
After an unrivalled racing career, Nino Schurter is now driven by new goals. In an interview, we found out exactly what these are.
The GOAT in a new function
BIKE: You are considered the GOAT - "Greatest Of All Time" in cross-country sport. Last year you announced the end of your World Cup career. Why don't you describe your new role?
Nino Schurter: I'm still a rider in the Scott Sram team. Although I no longer compete in the World Cup, I still have my eye on cool events. I can still represent Scott and Sram as an ambassador at media camps or dealer weeks. But I'm still a racer 50 per cent of the time. I'm now always on a gravel bike, but also on a mountain bike. This year, for example, I'm taking part in the BC Bike Race in Canada.
The new World Cup cross-country season has just begun. Does that tickle your fancy? Would you still like to be part of it?
I would have liked to have seen the new location in Korea. I've visited a lot of World Cup venues really often over the years. I don't really need to go there any more. I'm done with the World Cup and it's totally fine with me that I'm not travelling around with the team right now.
I can still have the competition at events like the Traka Gravel Race. It's no longer my top priority, but events like this still motivate me to put time into my training with a clear conscience. I will certainly be supporting the Scott Sram MTB Team at the World Cups in Lenzerheide and Leogang. Possibly also in America. That's not quite clear yet.
Do you just want to take part in the events mentioned or do you also want to finish on the podium?
A podium is not my ultimate goal, but of course I am and will remain a competitive person. I want to keep trying out what I can at high-level events. However, with the preparation I'm still doing, it will probably be very difficult to win.
2026 is a transitional year for me, in which I can switch down a little but still be an athlete. I'll do my best, but the result is no longer the most important priority.
You spent many years at the top level of a rapidly developing sport. Where does the journey for cross country still go?
You always have the feeling that it couldn't get any better and then something new comes along that fascinates me. In the past, a cross-country bike was really only meant for racing. That wasn't always fun.
Today we have really cool bikes that also work perfectly on trails. Race bikes are the right choice for many more mountain bikers today. Cross country has also become more attractive over time for bikers who are mainly looking for fun, and will probably become even more so.
Conclusion
Nino Schurter is one of the great legends of our sport. His career and ultimately his farewell from the World Cup stage will never be forgotten. But he can't quite let it go. Schurter remains a racer at heart and we can still marvel at his biking skills at one event or another. His enjoyment of mountain biking is definitely infectious! - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
Jan Timmermann
Editor
