Schurter was an overwhelming favourite ahead of the Championships but around the seven lap Olympic-distance circuit at Mont-Sainte-Anne Bike Park in Quebec, he did not have it all his own way.

Ondřej Cink from the Czech Republic made a quick start before being passed by Schurter and Brazilian rival Henrique Avancini.

The duo led out a group that included Swiss compatriot Mathias Flückiger and Italian Luca Braidot.

By lap four it was Schurter and Flückiger who had broke clear of the lead group with Avancini and Stéphane Tempier of France in hot pursuit.

A mechanical problem for Flückiger saw him drop down down the field.

When Schurter made another break at the end of lap five, he stayed away to secure gold, and an eighth world title, in 1 hour 27min 05sec.

A battle between six riders for silver was eventually taken by Flückiger some 30 seconds behind, with Tempier collecting the bronze medal.

Flückiger clocked 1:27:35 and Tempier finishing in 1:27:43.

Tempier's compatriot Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was crowned women's cross-country champion with a gripping victory.

The Frenchwoman had been in fine form through the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series but had her work cut out against Switzerland's Jolanda Neff and Australia's Rebecca McConnell.

It was Neff, 2017 world champion Kate Courtney from the United States and McConnell who exchanged first position on the opening lap with Ferrand-Prévot further down the field.

McConnell pulled out an 18 seconds lead to Neff on lap four with Ferrand-Prévot 30 seconds behind.

The Frenchwoman made the first real move of the race to pass Neff and start the chase on McConnell and after the Australian slipped, Ferrand-Prévot closed the gap down and moved into the lead.

It was a lead she would not relinquish as she pushed the gap out to 43 seconds to become the world champion in 1:28:51.

Neff clawed back the gap on McConnell to claim silver in 1:29.34 as McConnell won Australia's first medal of the Championships, bronze, in 1:30.08.

The women's under-23 cross-country title was won by Sina Frei from Switzerland.

Frei, a quadruple under-23 European champion, built a lead of more than 30 seconds by lap four and her victory was never in doubt as she stayed clear to win in 1:16.34.

It represented a second gold of the Championships after winning cross-country team relay gold for Switzerland on Wednesday (August 28).

Australia's Laura Stigger claimed the silver medal in 1:17:05 as Loana Lecomte of France completed the podium in :17.:10.

The Championships are due to conclude tomorrow with the men's and women's elite downhill finals.