Matt Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Victories by Nino Schurter (Scott Swisspower) and Maja Wloszczowska (CCC Polkowice) in the Elite men and women’s races at the opening round of the 2012 RockyRoads UCI MTB World Cup on Saturday, gave Scott bikes a dream start to the Olympic year. The technical nature of the Pietermaritzburg Olympic Cross-country course was upped a few levels over previous editions staged there in 2011 and 2009. But Schurter and Wloszczowska relished the challenging course and dispatched their rivals in the final stages to claim morale-boosting victories. Nino Schurter celebrates after beating Burry Stander to the finish following a race-long tussle at the opening round of the 2012 World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa on Saturday.Photo: Darren Goddard (Cycho.co.za)/Gameplan Media Schurter, winner here in 2011, was locked in a duel with host-country hero Burry Stander (Specialized) for the latter part of the race after the pair had surged away from Italian Manuel Fumic (Cannondale) on the fourth of seven laps of the 5.2km course, which included some menacing rock gardens, steep, technical drop-offs and a high percentage of climbing. “I’m very happy with such an early victory. I think,” smiled Schurter. “Last year I won this race too, but then I wasn’t super the rest of the year. I hope this year is different. “It was good to have a battle with Burry; to have a top South African racing for the win in South Africa. I was quicker than him through the rocks and I used that to get an advantage, forcing him to close the gap each time.” Schurter rode a prototype Scott Scale 650b (27.5-inch) bike and declared that it’s still experimental. Nino Schurter leads Burry Stander and Manuel Fumic through a forest section during the Elite men's race at the World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa on Saturday.Photo: Darren Goddard (Cycho.co.za)/Gameplan Media “It’s a prototype bike which I have been trying for a couple of months. I raced it last weekend on this course and again today. Both times I won. I think it suits me. I’m not so tall, but the bigger wheels roll better over the rocks than 26-inch wheels.” Schurter clocked winning time of 1hr30min38sec, 11 seconds ahead of Stander, who put up a spirited battle, but was simply unable to match Schurter’s pace after the Swiss attacked going into the final lap. Fumic finished third at 59 seconds with Olympic champion, Julien Absalon (Orbea) fourth at 1:41 and World champion, Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized) fifth at 2:21. In the Elite women’s race Wloszczowska was locked in a three-way battle with Emily Batty (Subaru Trek) and Catharine Pendrel (Luna) for most of the five-lap race. Their 11h30 start saw them race through the heat of the day with the temperature topping out just over 30 degrees Celsius. But the large enthusiastic crowd was more interested in the hotly contested race, which saw the women tackle some of the most challenging obstacles of any World Cup course. Batty and Wloszczowska managed to move clear of Pendrel half way through the final lap. But an alternate line choice on the long rock garden in the latter part of the lap gave Wloszczowska the edge she needed to claim the lead, which she never relinquished, clocking a winning time of 1hr34min01sec. Maja Wloszczowska leads the Elite women's race which she went on to win in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa on Saturday.Photo: Darren Goddard (Cycho.co.za)/Gameplan Media “Emily was leading going into the final rock garden and she took my normal line. I decided to take the other line to the left and just let go of my brakes and went for it! It paid off. I got a gap right there and that was enough. I’m so proud of myself. It was the best decision I made today,” smiled Wloszczowska. Batty finished second, just four seconds back with Pendrel rounding out the top three 23 seconds down on Wloszczowska, who pointed out that she appreciated the 29-inch wheels on her Scott Scale. Maja Wloszczowska tackles a drop-off with confidence on her way to winning the Elite women's race in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa on Saturday. “The bigger wheels are perfect for this course. Made it much easier to take the jumps and ride the rocks and logs. The courses are getting more and more technical and I’m impressed with how we women are handling them.” In the Under-23 men’s race, South African James Reid (Nedbank 360Life) impressed when he finished fourth after starting 20th on the grid. He piloted his Scott Scale 29RC smoothly around the course to finish just outside the top three. It was his best ever finish at a World Cup and a sign of a bright future. James Reid moved from 20th on the start grid to an eventual 4th place in the Under-23 men's race in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa on Saturday.Photo: Darren Goddard (Cycho.co.za)/Gameplan Media Click here to view the article
'Dale Posted March 18, 2012 Posted March 18, 2012 Uh Oh... A new market opens for the 27.5''. Sounds like the best choice. Apparently, Nino couldn't get his fitment right with a 29 er frame.
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