Nino Schurter races at home this weekend

The Swiss town of Chur will become the epicenter of international XCO this weekend. The city hosts the second round of the Ökk Bike Revolution and many top riders have chosen it as the last tune-up before the World Cup, which will start the second weekend of May.

Where and when to watch the Ökk Bike Revolution in Chur 2023

The race will be held next Sunday, May 7th and both the men's and women's races will be broadcast via Red Bull streaming.

Ökk Bike Revolution Chur Timetable

Sunday, May 7th

• 12:00 - Elite Women's Race
• 14:15 - Elite Men's Race

Chur dresses up to welcome the world's best XCO riders: Schurter, Pidcock, Fluckiger and Dascalu as headliners

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With less than two weeks to go until the start of the XCO, XCC and XCM World Cup, the riders are finalizing their preparations to arrive in the best conditions in Nove Mesto. That's why many of the big names in this discipline have chosen Chur as a preparatory stage before the first highlight of the season.

The Ökk Bike Revolution of Chur is a Hors Category race that has the particularity that part of the circuit runs through the historic center of the city, which, as a curiosity, is the oldest in Switzerland.

The first name to talk about is Nino Schurter. The Swiss rides at home (literally, because he lives in Chur), he has collaborated in the design of the circuit and his endless track record supports him to carry the label of favorite to any race that comes along. At almost 37 years of age, he has just won the Capoliveri Legend and finished third in the Cape Epic.

Tom Pidcock will be another of the best-known faces taking part in Chur this Sunday. The British rider needs no introduction either: gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics and U23 World Champion in 2020, he arrives after a tough month of April with the spring classics. In MTB, the last thing he has done was a third place in the French Cup in XCC, while in the XCO race he had to abandon due to mechanical problems on the newly released Pinarello.

For his part, Thomus Maxon rider Mathias Fluckiger has had time to get into his rhythm at the start of the season. The Swiss started the year at the Shimano Supercup Massi in Banyoles and since then has been in four more races (all of them in Switzerland) with a balance of three first places and one second.

Romanian Vlad Dascalu is another big favorite. Eighth in the world ranking, he was second in the 2022 World Championships and at 25 years old he is already seven times national champion. He started the season with a victory in the Internacionales de Chelva and has been able to participate in four other events this year.

Finally, other cyclists who could be in contention include Christopher Blevins (recent winner of the Cape Epic), Titoaun Carod, Georg Egger, Andri Frischknecht and Jordan Sarrou.

The women's category is also full of great riders: Neff, Ferrand Prevot, Frei and Richards as favorites

The women's race also presents a World Cup-worthy line-up. Jolanda Neff, third in the ranking, gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics and runner-up at the 2022 World Championships is one of the rivals to beat. Pauline Ferrand Prevot will also be one to beat, the legend arrives after making headlines for winning her first race with INEOS and doing it with the new Pinarello.

Sina Frei is another favorite. The 25-year-old Swiss rider won silver in Tokyo and is still fresh from her World Short Track Championship in 2021 and her third place in the XCO World Championships in the same year.

Evie Richards, who debuted this season at Los Internacionales de Chelva with a second place and is just coming off a win in the United Kingdom, will be another tough opponent aiming for victory in Chur.

In addition, it is worth mentioning the presence of Alessandra Keller ( World #1), 2018 World Champion Kate Courtney, current Austrian XCE Champion Laura Stigger and 2022 World Championship bronze medalist Haley Batten, who could also enter the betting to take over the top spot.