Luca Braidot triumphed in the most dramatic fashion in the men’s race in Lenzerheide at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup cross-country on Sunday, 10 July 2022, with Alan Hatherly securing second place after a sprint finish.
Home hero Nino Schurter was looking to create a piece of history by securing a record-breaking 34th win. However, he knew he would face a challenge from his fellow Swiss riders after Filippo Colombo was victorious in Friday’s XCC race and Mathias Flückiger was second.
After the first lap Schurter led his two compatriots, with South Africa’s Alan Hatherly and Italy’s Braidot also managing to live with the brutal pace being set at the front.
Over the next few laps the lead changed on several occasions, but with just half a lap remaining it was Schurter who led the way and looked to be on track to eclipse Frenchman Julien Absalon’s record of 33 victories.
But with just a few corners remaining it was all change as Schurter and Flückiger collided, allowing Braidot to secure his first-ever World Cup win as Hatherly took a surprise second place.
