Shorter and Guerrini on the podium in the USA

This means that (at least) one Swiss man made the podium in the seventh cross-country race of the season. While the surprisingly tough Marcel Guerini was able to celebrate his first top-three World Cup finish in Snowshoe, West Virginia, Nino Schurter missed out on his 36th World Cup win. The Graubünden man was overtaken by Frenchman Jourdan Saro in the final sprint. The 2020 world champion celebrated his first ever victory in a World Cup cross country race.

Schurter successfully defended his lead in the overall World Cup championship with his fifth podium finish of the season. Before the final next weekend in Mont-Sainte-Anne, he leads by 89 points (1433:1344) over Saro, followed by Flückiger (1266) and German Luca Schwarzbauer (1213), who still have a slim chance.

Best result for Jolanda Neve this season

Laura Stigger also earned her first win among women. The Austrian won solo, ahead of Frenchwoman Luana Lecomte and Italian Martina Berta.

Jolanda Neff also led a strong race. The Olympic champion showed a strong comeback and, as the fifth-best Swiss woman, ultimately put herself further ahead than ever this year.

The Eastern Swiss women’s season has been largely disappointing so far. A sixth place at the start of July in Val di Sole in Italy, also achieved after catching a flat tyre, was the only outlier for the three-time World Cup winner this year.

Pieterse early overall World Cup winner

Right behind Neff in Snowshoe was her teammate Puck Pieterse. The 21-year-old Dutchwoman and short race winner on Friday was crowned World Cup winner ahead of schedule. Her predecessor, Alessandra Keller, came in 15th place behind Sina Frey, and Linda Indergand came in 17th.