Schurter wins Windham World Cup

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Nino Schurter (Scott-Odlo) took his second World Cup victory in as many weeks on Sunday, in Windham, New York, fighting back from a flat to beat usual rival Julien Absalon (BMC) by a slim four seconds.

Schurter took the lead after the start loop, carving out a ten second lead on the first lap over Absalon, Manuel Fumic (Cannondale Factory) and Dan McConnell (Trek Factory Racing). He was extended his lead in lap two when he flatted, luckily, shortly before the tech zone at the start of the next lap.

After a quick wheel change he had dropped to fifth, and set off in pursuit of Absalon and Fumic, rejoining them a lap later. The trio stayed together until the penultimate lap, when Absalon attacked on the climb, with only Schurter able to respond. The pair started the final lap together and rode up the climb still together, with Absalon managing to get the hole shot into the descent, denying the faster descender Schurter the chance to get away.

The Swiss rider executed a bold move through a rock garden to retake the lead and open a slim four second gap, which he held to the line. Fumic took third, with Trek Factory team mates Sergio Mantecon and McConnell rounding out the podium.

"I was suffering quite a bit up the hill," revealed Schurter. "It was quite a challenge to keep Julien's wheel on the uphill. I had my last chance in the rock garden and tried to pass him. I actually saw that it works three laps before when Fumic passed me there, so I tried the same as him and was really happy that it worked."

"I'm in super great shape, but it is not my course here. Too long a climb for me. At the top I was always suffering. It was great to win at Mont-Sainte Anne and even greater to win here."

"I have quite a lead now [in the overall] Absalon is probably now in second, I don't know what Jaroslov did today, but I would say now I have a good lead. It was two really important races for the overall."

"It was a really hard race," agreed Absalon. "I didn't start really well. I was suffering to catch the leaders. Finally I caught the leaders, but we were all together in front. In the technical section I was not really fast. Last week I was slow in training and more fast in the race, this week was the opposite - fast in training and slow in the race. I was not fast enough compared to Mano or Nino. That is why Nino pass me in the rock garden. I don't know why. The rocks were moving, so it was not the same as yesterday, so it was not possible for me to be as fast as Nino. I was close, closer than last week, but second again."

Schurter now leads the standings with 100 points, with Absalon moving up to second at 910 points and former leader Jaroslav Kulhavy dropping to third at 782 points.

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