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Schurter upsets Absalon for world XC title
American Willow Koerber rides through crash-filled women's event to take third behind winner Kalentieva.
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Editor's note: For detailed reports on the cross-country events, including exclusive interviews with the Americans and other racers, check out singletrack.com.
Swiss Nino Schurter upstaged four-time world and reigning Olympic champion Julien Absalon of France to win the world cross-country championship. American Willow Koerber finished third in the women's event, behind Russian winner Irina Kalentieva and Lene Byberg of Norway.
Schurter, 23, prevailed by just three seconds over the Frenchman in the most exciting cross-country event of the week. Schurter claimed gold last year in the under-23 event, but said he didn't think he could beat Absalon.
"I've had such a bad season but now with this race it's a dream come true," Schurter said. "It's an amazing feeling, the perfect race, perfect course for me. It was very technical and that suits me. The whole race I was thinking just to try to stay on his back wheel and race for silver, never thinking I could take the win but at the last feed zone I attacked and got away."
The men raced 45km inside the Stromlo Forest Park in Australia.
Fellow Swiss Florian Vogel captured the bronze in a photo finish from Spain's Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos, 58 seconds behind Schurter.
Absalon, who has won four World Cup events this year, said he was outnumbered. He led most of the race against the Swiss pair, trying to put them on the defensive. But even though he expected Schurter to try and break away, he couldn't respond.
"I was not in a good position," Absalon said. "I led and I did most of the race in front. This track is fast and it was not possible to get away with the wind, it was hard and the Swiss riders proved that they are the strongest nation together. I was expecting the attack in the feed zone (from Schurter) but not as strong."
Todd Wells finished 8th as the best-placed American.
Kalentieva battles back to take the women's race
Russian Kalentieva overcame a disastrous start in the 32km women's cross-country event to claim her nation's first gold medal of the world championships.
Kalentieva, 31, was forced to stop on the first lap after a technical problem that dropped her back to 21st place. But she battled her way back to take the win, 13 seconds ahead of Norway's Byberg.
"It was unbelievable, I was in first place and then on the downhill section my chain broke and I had to spend over a minute fixing it," Kalentieva said. "I think it gave me more concentration and gave me more strength because it is not something that should happen at the world championships."
American Koerber claimed the bronze, a further 39 seconds behind.
Koerber spent the majority of the race at the front of the pack and said that a hectic start had played into her hands.
"At the start I was just wondering what was going on, no one could ride because everyone was crashing," Koerber said. "It obviously worked for me though because I finished well and got a medal."
Koerber's Subaru-Gary Fisher teammate Heather Irmiger finished 10th.
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