Will Nino Schurter win his 34th World Cup?

From 8 to 11 June 2023, Lenzerheide will once again be the place to be. The world's best mountain bike professionals will meet for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup – and from a Swiss perspective, this could go down in history in a special way. Bike Kingdom Ambassador Nino Schurter could win his 34th World Cup in his home country and thus become the sole record holder.

Unlike in previous years, the first races in the Bike Kingdom Lenzerheide will already take place on Thursday, 8 June 2023. These are the downhill qualifiers for the juniors and the cross-country short-track races for the U23 category in the women's and men's categories. On this day, access to the event area is still free of charge. Tickets will only be required from Friday, 9 June 2023, when everything will revolve around downhill during the day with the finals of the juniors and the qualifying races of the elite. The elite cross-country short-track races will follow in the evening, where the first preliminary decisions for the cross-country races on Sunday will already be made with regard to the starting line-up. The downhill format will be new on Saturday, 10 June 2023, with the elite women's and men's semi-finals before the lunch break, followed by the finals after the lunch break. Sunday remains traditionally Cross-Country Olympic day, with the races of the U23 category in the morning and the elite races in the afternoon.

Race preview DHI
Camille Balanche from Western Switzerland is probably the Swiss downhill star in the greatest degree. She is a multiple Swiss champion, World Cup winner, World Champion and last year she was the first Swiss woman to win the overall Downhill World Cup. But: She has not yet been able to take a World Cup victory in Lenzerheide – that would be a first. After the French downhill festivals last year – Myriam Nicole (FRA) won the women's race, Amaury Pierron (FRA) the men's – it would be time for a Swiss victory. The chances for Camille Balanche are good, as she already showed an excellent start in the pre-season. She won the Brioude DH Cup in France and came second in the British downhill race in Fort William.

Race preview XCO
The last XCO Sunday in Lenzerheide offered the spectators almost everything that could be expected from a successful World Cup day – only the big happy ending was missing. What looked like a Swiss double victory until the end of the last lap of the elite men's race turned into a drama. The two Swiss rivals, Nino Schurter and Mathias Flückiger took each other out of the race in a failed overtaking attempt, to the delight of Luca Braidot (ITA) and Alan Hatherly (RSA), who unexpectedly secured first and second place. Already there, Bike Kingdom Ambassador Nino Schurter would have had the chance to become the sole record holder in terms of World Cup victories. It was not to be. This year the starting position is similar: In the first XCO race of the season in Nove Mesto Schurter «only» came third – it seems as if he is saving his 34th World Cup victory for the next race, the home World Cup in Bike Kingdom Lenzerheide. Pure suspense is pre-programmed.

Not to forget the women: At the start of the season, the two Swiss women, Alessandra Keller and Sina Frei already rode onto the short-track podium with second and third places. In the subsequent XCO race, Keller was the best Swiss woman in fifth place. Together with the Olympic heroes Jolanda Neff and Linda Indergand, who together with Sina Frei ensured an XCO triple success the summer before last, Switzerland therefore has more than one trump card in the women's race, which promises the best entertainment for the spectators in Lenzerheide.

Tickets are now available
Tickets for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup are available online at the website mtbworldcup.ch. As in previous years, tickets are available for individual days or passes for the entire event from Friday to Sunday. In addition to the regular tickets, a limited number of VIP tickets will also be sold, providing access to the VIP lounge and an exclusive culinary offer. Admission is free for children up to the age of 5. It is advisable to buy tickets in advance and not at the box office, as this way you will benefit from a discount.