Julie Bresset and Nino Schurter claimed the top honours at the third round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup XCO, in front of 20,000 fans in Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic at the weekend.

With spectators packing the forest that a highly technical and physically very challenging course weaved its way through, Frenchwomen Julie Bresset proved the strongest by clinching victory, improving on her second place at the same venue last year.

“I am very happy on this track, I feel very good today,” said Bresset afterwards. “The ambience of the public was very warm.”

“Today I was very concentrated and motivated to win.”

Here’s highlights of the women’s race.

Women’s Elite XCO: Results
1 Julie BRESSET (FRA) 1:29:17
2 Irina KALENTIEVA (RUS) +0:29
3 Katerina NASH (CZE) +0:48
4 Georgia GOULD (USA) +0:59
5 Blaza CLEMENCIC (SLO) +0:59

Nino Schurter back on top

The winner of the opening round of the World Cup hit the top step of the podium once more, Nino Schurter claiming a resounding and popular victory in a race that unfolded with dramatic excitement.

Early on local hero Jaroslav Kulhavy, who won last year, and has yet to set his season on fire, took the lead. While he didn’t have the pace to maintain the lead to the finish line, unable to resist Schurter’s attack, the Czech rider did cling on to second place.

South African Burry Stander completed the podium with a fine third place.

Here’s the men’s race highlights video.

“It was a really hard race,” said Schurter, who admitted a mistake on the first lap has made it more difficult for him to keep in the leading pack. “It’s really a great thing to win a World Cup on your birthday.”

Men’s Elite XCO: Results
1 Nino SCHURTER (SUI) 1:26:46
2 Jaroslav KULHAVY (CZE) +0:06
3 Burry STANDER (ZAF) +0:17
4 Marco Aurelio FONTANA (ITA) +0:46
5 Ralph NAEF (SUI) +0:47

As the dust settled on the third round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup XCO, held in Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic at the weekend,