Late-race surge nets Switzerland Team Relay title at MTB Worlds

Switzerland took the opening title of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets, France, with a dramatic late-race surge to the front. Italy took the silver medal and the United States the bronze.

The Team Relay consists of six riders each doing a lap of the XCO course. Each team contains male and female riders in the junior, under-23 and elite categories. Teams can choose whichever order they wish to send off riders.

Italy took a strong early lead on the first lap, but their second lap rider suffered mechanical issues, dropping to fifth by the end of the lap. 

France – the defending champions – moved into the front position on the second lap, and extended their lead through the third and fourth riders, to lead by over a minute and a half when they sent off their fifth rider, with Switzerland sitting second.

However, disaster struck for the French junior woman, Tatiana Tournut, who crashed heavily and lost her saddle, having to ride standing up for much of the lap, dropping to seventh by the end of the lap.