Nino Schurter’s announcement that he’ll retire from UCI world cup racing after this season was big news in the global mountain bike community. The 39-year-old Swiss rider has long been considered the greatest of all time.
Canadian athletes responded with admiration and reflection. Including veterans like Geoff Kabush, who raced against Schurter for years. And rising stars like Cole Punchard, who grew up watching him dominate.
Kabush: “A record that I think will never be matched”
Geoff Kabush, one of Canada’s most decorated mountain bikers and a longtime competitor of Schurter’s, was quick to highlight what truly set him apart.
“I think the most amazing part of Nino’s career was his insane consistency and longevity at the highest level of sport,” said Kabush. “When you look at his performances at world championships he almost always delivered and has a record that I think will never be matched.”
Schurter won his first elite world title in 2009. He most recently stood on a world cup podium earlier this year, nearly 15 years later. According to Kabush, that kind of staying power is almost unfathomable.
“He was incredibly hard to beat because he had the whole tool kit; fitness, tactics, skill and a finishing kick if it came down to a sprint. This was super frustrating for some of his biggest rivals like Julien Absalon during the peak of his career.”
Despite being a fierce rival, Kabush has clearly enjoyed watching Schurter compete in recent years.
He is one of the few guys still left that I raced against so it is always fun to watch and I’ll be cheering for him in his final races,” he added. “Nino has always pushed the sport forward in many ways and, who knows, maybe he still has another trick up his sleeve.”
Punchard: “For me he will be remembered as the GOAT”
Cole Punchard, a top Canadian U23 racer, is currently racing elite in the UCI world cup. Which means he’s lined up with Schurter a few times this season. He even beat him at an XCC event. But he credits the Swiss legend as one of his earliest inspirations.
“I’ve always watched Nino growing up. He was probably the reason why I continued watching and got a higher and higher interest in cycling and MTB,” Punchard said.
The moment that cemented Schurter’s impact on Punchard came in 2019.
“My first time watching an international race was MSA world champs 2019 and getting to see him in person for the first time made an impact on me and got me…
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