Among the 5 fastest MTBs at the Albstadt World Cup there is only one full suspension MTB

The Albstadt course is for many the most physically demanding of the entire World Cup, but it is less technical and allowed riders to choose between racing on full suspension or hardtail MTBs. A decision that in the case of Nino Schurter seems to have worked against him. Here you can find the 5 mountain bikes of the fastest riders in the Albstadt World Cup.

The 5 fastest MTBs at the Albstadt World Cup

It doesn't seem a coincidence that in the top 5 we only find one full suspension mountain bike, which confirms that hardtails are still a perfect choice when the important thing is to ride fast and the terrain is not extremely technical.

5. Thomas Pidcock's BMC TwoStroke

British rider Tom Pidcock was one of the main protagonists of the weekend, finishing in fifth place after starting 93rd. He also had to stop to repair a flat tyre during the race and we cannot forget that despite being one of the best riders of the moment, this was his first World Cup as an elite rider at only 21 years old. Nobody knows where the limit of this cyclist will be.

But if we focus on his bike, it also has a history. As his team, Ineos Grenadier, is sponsored by Pinarello and Pinarello has no mountain bikes in its catalogue, Pidcock has a custom-made one. The frame is from a BMC Towstroke, with no logo anywhere, the fork is an SR Suntour Axon Werz 34, almost unique in the World Cup, DT Swiss telescopic seatpost, Syncros wheels and handlebars, and Shimano XTR drivetrain and brakes. Undoubtedly one of the most eclectic options we've seen in recent years.

4. Ondrej Cink's Kross Level TE 

Czech rider Ondrej Cink was another of the most combative riders of the day, always fighting for the lead. Cink rode the hardtail model from Kross, the Level TE with telescopic seatpost and the new Fox 34 SC fork. This fork was presented a few weeks ago and for many it is already the successor of the Fox 32 for XCO.

3. Mathias Flueckiger's Thomus Tomcat

Switzerland's Mathias Fluckiger is already a synonymous of action, and any race he takes part in is guaranteed to be fun for the fans. Although this time the race didn't end in the best way for him, as his telescopic seatpost failed on the last lap when he was fighting for the victory.

His mountain bike is a Thomus Tomcat Worldcup with DT Swiss F232 One fork, DT Swiss XRC 1200 wheels, Schwalbe 2.25 prototype tyres, Shimano XTR drivetrain and KS telescopic seatpost.

2. Nino Schurter's Scott Spark

Although the start of the race did not look good for Schurter, on the last lap many of us considered him the winner and even if that was not the case, it is good news to see the Swiss fighting for the victory again from the first race.

There is little that has not already been said about the Spark, here you can analyse it in detail, but it was surprising that at the end of the race, Nino Schurter declared that perhaps competing with the Spark was not the best choice. And maybe it was, as it is the only full suspension bike that made it into the top 5 in Albstadt.

1. Victor Koretzky's Orbea Alma

After the race, Victor Koretzky confessed that he did not feel good in the warm-up and thought he was not ready to compete with the best. However, he was the best. Koretzky made an excellent race strategy and managed to win the sprint against Nino Schurter. Perhaps he also made the best choice of equipment, opting to ride the lightest MTB in this classification.

Victor Koretky's Orbea Alma OMX 2021 has one of the lightest frames on the market and without a doubt of those at the front yesterday, only 830g. It was also the only one at the front that opted not to use a telescopic seatpost and mounted the Fox 32 SC fork, the lightest in the Fox catalogue.

All this benefited him in the last few metres when he put everything on the line in the sprint to win his first World Cup victory, take the lead in the competition and also secure the lead for his team.

Leaving the mechanical failures aside, do you think the equipment at the Albstadt World Cup was decisive? We read you on our social media!