The Swiss cross-country mountain bikers, who started as defending champions, had to settle for 5th place in the team competition at the World Championships in the Pal Arinsal ski destination in Andorra.
The sextet consisting of the elite duo Ramona Forchini and Thomas Litscher, Finn Treudler and Anina Hutter from the U23 category and juniors Sven Sommer and Lara Liehner missed out on a medal by 47 seconds.
Treudler only finished the first leg in ninth place, and the Swiss had never finished better than 4th place in the changeovers. Gold went to the USA ahead of France and Italy.
The Swiss had already won the World Championship title eight times in the team competition, including in the past two years. Nino Schurter was present for seven of the eight gold medals, but the 38-year-old from Graubünden did not compete this time.
Swiss Cycling fared better with the e-mountain bike. Nathalie Schneitter won silver in the women's event behind Germany's Sofia Wiedenroth. Joris Ryf came fourth in the men's race.
