XCO Elite Men – Highlight from the 2015 UCI MTB World Cup presented by Shimano – GER
Win a GO3 Camera by Insta360 this issue in our FREE subscriber prize draw.
Check out the highlights from round two of the XCO World Cup in Albstadt, Germany. It was another intense battle at the finish, with winner, Julien Absalon coming away with the 30th World Cup win of his career.
Known for it’s steep climbs and tricky descents, Albstadt has caught many riders by surprise after going out too hard in the early laps and then fading. Four riders finished the first lap together at the front – Absalon, Schurter, Round 1 winner, Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized) and Florian Vogel (Focus XC). A lap later, Kulhavy and Vogel were still there but starting to show the pressure and, by the third lap it was just Absalon and Schurter.
Absalon tried attacking his rival on the climbs in the final laps but could not drop the Swiss champion. Schurter then attacked before the final descent to the finish and got a small gap, only to crash in the final gravel corner after carrying too much speed. Absalon was then able to get by Schurter. Kulhavy was dropped by Vogel in the middle portion of the race, only to retake the lead in the final lap for third, followed by Vogel and then Mathias Fluckiger (Stoeckli) in fifth.
The men’s standings couldn’t get much tighter, with Absalon tied at 410 points with Kulhavy (Absalon holds the jersey due to the most recent win), followed by Schurter at 400 points.
