Sydney - Swiss mountain biker Nino Schurter edged ahead of dual Olympic champion and favourite Julien Absalon of France in the blue-riband men's event at the World Mountain Bike Championships in Canberra on Saturday. Florian Vogel came third, denying Spaniard Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos a medal, despite recording the same time for seven laps of the 6.5-kilometre course in Australia's capital city.
Reigning Swiss world champion Christoph Sauser was upstaged by compatriots Schurter and Vogel, finishing 10th on the course that was used for the 2000 Olympics.
In the women's cross country event, Russian Irina Kalentieva took gold, Norway's Lene Byberg the silver medal and Willow Koerber from the United States came away with bronze.
