Hatherly wins MTB world championship again despite switch to road cycling: "It was a goal from the start of this season"

It was no surprise that Hatherly took the initiative early in the race. He knew it could be advantageous on the course in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. “Everything came together perfectly today,” said Hatherly. “Beforehand, I said it would be a time trial and not so much a tactical race. I approached it that way by taking the initiative right away and making it a time trial from start to finish.”

Hatherly encountered some resistance from home favorite Mathias Flückiger, but the Swiss rider soon realized that Hatherly's pace was too high for him. Nevertheless, at one point, the leader also gave it his all. “With two or three laps to go, the effort of my early attack began to take its toll. However, I managed to consolidate my position; my lead was big enough to hold on to the finish.” Hatherly had given himself enough margin.

As reigning world champion, Hatherly was naturally one of the favorites. Nevertheless, there was a question mark behind his name. This season, Hatherly was mainly active as a road cyclist. “It has been a strange year for me, riding on the road for Jayco-AlUla. The combination was difficult,” he acknowledges.

"Defending this world title was a major goal from the start of the year," continues the now two-time world champion. "I found it difficult to find the balance between the two disciplines, but since a month ago, I have focused entirely on mountain biking and done all my training on a mountain bike. Obviously, it worked out very well."

To get some competition rhythm on the mountain bike, Hatherly competed in the World Cup in Les Gets, France, a few weeks ago. With a fourth-place finish, he showed that he was getting back into top form. “Les Gets, a few weeks ago, gave me the final confidence boost I needed. It's a dream to win for the second time in a row,” says Hatherly.