South African mountain biking fans had plenty to celebrate as Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – XC) closed his MTB season in the best way possible – with his first UCI World Cup victory of the year. Wearing the rainbow jersey of the reigning World Champion, Hatherly looked every bit the star as he rode clear of his rivals to take a commanding win in Lenzerheide.

“I was hungry to get a win here, and to do it in the rainbow jersey is something I’ll never forget.”

The dry and dusty conditions provided dramatic races, which were impacted by mechanicals and punctures.

From the front, in control

The narrow start loop kept the Elite men tightly bunched early on. Simon Andreassen (Orbea Fox Factory Team) took the initial lead, with Schurter moving up through the field after starting 33rd.

By the end of the second lap, a group of nine had formed at the front before punctures and mechanicals thinned the ranks. That’s when Hatherly made his move, powering away on the main climb to build a 12-second lead – and growing it to nearly a minute as the laps ticked by.

Photo: UCI MTB

Behind him, Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) were left to scrap for the podium places, while Andreassen’s puncture ended his challenge.

South African grit on display

Even a dropped chain in the closing lap couldn’t derail Hatherly’s ride. Twice he had to dismount and fix his bike, but with the cushion he had built, the South African could afford to nurse his bike home. Crossing the line with arms aloft, he sealed a landmark victory – his first in the rainbow jersey.

“This is a really special venue for me — it’s where I won my U23 World title.”

“This is a really special venue for me — it’s where I won my U23 World title,” Hatherly said afterwards. “I was hungry to get a win here, and to do it in the rainbow jersey is something I’ll never forget. This is my final World Cup of the season, unfortunately, so I wanted to do the jersey justice and go out on top.”

He added: “The whole purpose of this season has been to combine road and mountain bike racing. The road is a big challenge, but I’m enjoying every step. To finish like this — I’m really happy to be back at my normal level.”

Photo: UCI MTB

A legend says goodbye

While Hatherly celebrated, all eyes also turned to Schurter, who completed his final World Cup race to a huge ovation from the Swiss fans.

Photo: UCI MTB

“It’s super-cool. I’m so thankful for everything, it was an amazing career and it feels so good.”

The most decorated rider in men’s mountain biking history finished 24th on the day, three minutes behind Hatherly, before bidding an emotional farewell to the sport he helped define. “It’s better than I could ever imagine. Today was a beautiful day, it was again hard for me. I was scared of the 80% rule, so I had to push hard to get through the race.”

Watch the race highlights:

South Africa’s Johan van Zyl finished 60th (+00:06:51), Michael Foater 70th (+00:06:53), Luke Moir 74th (+00:07:07), and Damon Terblanche 83rd (+00:08:43)

The women’s elite race

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In the women’s elite,. Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) rose to the occasion and gave her home fans a victory to celebrate. Keller kept calm before launching her bid for glory on the penultimate lap. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) was just seven seconds behind the lead on the final lap before puncturing and finishing fourth. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) finished second following a determined performance, while Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) recovered from a crash while leading to take third.

South Africa’s Candice Lill finished 7th (+00:01:37 behind the winner).

There are two races remaining in the 2025 UCI MTB World Cup series: Mt. Van Hoevenberg in New York (3–5 October) and Mont-Sainte-Anne in Canada (9–12 October).

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