5 things to note about the World Cup in Nove Mesto this weekend

1. XC is back this weekend.  It’s a long time since we last saw XC wheels turned in anger at a World Cup, last September 3rd to be precise when we visited Andorra.  With little action in between we’ve had glimpses of form such as the Cape Epic in South Africa when Nino Schurter’s Scott-SRAM team completely dominated taking the win in the mens and mixed categories.
2. Nove Mesto is a beast.  The course in Nove Mesto is one of the most exciting on the circuit.  Massive rock gardens, ton of roots and rocks and lots of up and down makes for neck and neck racing with lots of line choice and inevitable crashes.  Last years women’s World Champs race here saw huge drama in particular with Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa  forced to withdraw on the opening lap with a broken handlebar and silver and bronze positions lost on the last lap through punctures.  It’s a course where aggressive riding is rewarded.  
3. XC is technical.  Over the off season we’ve seen loads of riders moving to dropper posts more commonly associated with Enduro racing.  Last year both Julian Absalon and Daniel McConnell used them successfully in World Cups and in the off season plenty more have been trying them out.  The posts add about 200-300 grams of extra weight to bikes, something that top pros don’t take lightly but for a course like this they’re a great idea.  It’s not just the men too. Olympic champion Jenny Rissveds rode one to victory at the Cape Epic and will race on one this season as will others.
4. 2016 – A tale of two riders.  Last year the World Cup belonged to two male riders.  Julien Absalon and Nino Schurter split the victories evenly between them with three wins a-piece.  While Absalon took the overall with a more consistent performance, Schurter had the edge at the World Champs and the Olympics, building his season around the latter in particular.  This year expect the like of Kulhavy, Cink and Marotte to have something to say about this.
5. Of course it’s a 29er.  While the Downhill World Cup is obsessed with 29ers, XC racers are firmly fixed on the larger wheel size with only a handful of holdouts.  Last year Nino Schurter switched to the bigger wheel size ahead of the Olympics and now only races on them.  The course is so technical here that most racers will opt for the more forgiving full suspension option if they have the choice.

This year’s World Cup opener is set to be a battle royal. Having won their respective World Championship titles on this track, Nino Schurter and Annika Langvald setting off with big targets on their back.  A baying crowd numbering over 50 thousand watched that weekend with stands for the rock garden and beer tents things will be rowdy both on and off the course.

Tune in to Red Bull TV on Saturday at 12pm GMT for the women’s race and 1pm on Sunday for the men’s race.