In the end, reigning gold medal winner and Czech Republic rider Jaroslav Kulhavy would have to settle with leading for much of the race and a silver medal.
Swiss biker Nino Schurter shot into the lead 25.5 km into the men’s cross country mountain bike final, leaving Kulhavy behind and claiming a long-awaited gold medal.
Schurter had Olympic silver (2012) and bronze (2008), and completed his set in 1:33:28 on Sunday in Rio.
That was 50 seconds better than Kulhavy, and 1:23 ahead of bronze-winning Carlos Coloma-Nicolas of Spain (who finished sixth in London 2012).
American cyclist Howard Grotts was 38th, a lap down.
