Nino Schurter arrives at The Rift, the spectacular gravel challenge between volcanoes in Iceland

Nino Schurter, considered the best XCO rider of all time, faces this weekend one of the most peculiar challenges of his new calendar: The Rift, the spectacular gravel race held in Iceland that many consider one of the wildest and most authentic races on the international calendar.

Nino Schurter faces The Rift, the wildest gravel race in Iceland

After an unparalleled career in mountain biking, Schurter designed a very different 2026 calendar with gravel and MTB events spread across the globe.

His debut in gravel came at The Hills, an Italian event where the Swiss "missed" a bike with full suspension for the first time.  He was then followed by Utopia Gravel, Granada, where he came very close to victory and only David Valero was able to surpass him in a tight final sprint. Shortly after, he demonstrated his competitiveness again at The Traka 200, one of the most prestigious races in the world, where he finished in a commendable fifth place against some of the best international specialists.

Between both events, he also found time to return to mountain biking in one of the most legendary stage races on the planet, the BC Bike Race in Canada. There, he achieved overall victory and, true to a tradition that has been repeated across several generations of the brand's bicycles, he was the first rider to achieve a win with the new SCOTT Spark.

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David Valero wins the sprint against Nino Schurter and takes the victory at the Utopía Gravel 2026

Contemporary art on an exclusive SCOTT Spark RC painted for Nino Schurter

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Now he changes the scene again to face a race where endurance, effort management, and adaptability are even more important than pure speed.

The Rift, the wildest gravel in Iceland

The Rift takes place in Hvolsvöllur, in southern Iceland, and in just a few years has become one of the most prestigious gravel races internationally.

Its route crosses some of the most spectacular landscapes in the country: extensive lava fields, volcanic tracks, stretches of black sand, rivers, gravel roads, and vast open spaces where the wind often becomes another rival. All this in an environment practically devoid of vegetation and with weather conditions that can completely change the course of the race in a matter of minutes.

Precisely this mix of adventure, toughness, and isolation has made The Rift a very different event from the rest of the calendar and an annual appointment marked by many of the best gravel specialists.

The organization offers this year four different distances, adapted to different participant profiles:

• The Abyss: 330 km and 4,600 meters of positive elevation
• The Rift: 200 km and 2,600 meters of positive elevation
• The Crevasse: 140 km and 1,700 meters of positive elevation
• The Crack: 60 km and 520 meters of positive elevation

Everything points to Schurter competing in The Rift of 200 kilometers, considered the flagship event of the competition and the route that has given international fame to the race.

In its early editions, The Rift was known mainly for its spectacular route. However, in recent years the sporting level has grown exponentially, and the race gathers each season some of the best gravel specialists, as well as riders from mountain biking and road cycling looking for a different challenge.

The presence of Nino Schurter confirms this evolution. After demonstrating in Utopia Gravel and The Traka that he remains competitive against top-level specialists, the Swiss now faces one of the most authentic settings on the international calendar, where experience and the ability to adapt to changing terrain can be as decisive as physical condition.