Swiss Epic
Swiss Epic Wraps Up in Style
Press Release / 22.08.2021
The Goldwurst Power-Infinity and Gabriel Technologie teams completed their Swiss Epic dominance with fourth and fifth stage wins, respectively, on the last day of the race. Saturday, 21 August’s, route around Singletrack Paradise Davos proved perfect for Nicola Rohrbach and Lukas Flückiger, as well as Ariane Lüthi and Robyn de Groot. The four riders, who have worn the race leader jerseys since the conclusion of Stage 1 in St. Moritz, are fitting champions of the eighth edition of the race.
Having started the stage with a 4 minute and 55 second advantage over the second placed Buff Scott MTB Racing team, of Hans Becking and Francesc Guerra Carretero, Rohrbach and Flückiger had no need to take undue risks. Yet the Swiss pairing drove the pace from the start and forced their rivals onto the back foot. With the elite men’s field strung out on the singletracks of the Junkerboden Trail, the elastic snapped for teams, one-by-one. By the time the overall race leaders had completed the Alps Epic-Trail they were on their own. Goldwurst Power-Infinity raced through the rest of the stage to complete a convincing victory on the day and overall.
“Winning the Swiss Epic, in Graubünden, is very special for us, neither Nicola [Rohrbach] or myself are the youngest anymore” reflected Flückiger. “We’re getting closer to the ends of our careers and every race we take part in is another pedal stoke closer to the finish line of retirement. So, a week like this especially with a partner like Nicola, who I’m super close with and with whom I train with for much of the year, is super cool. I’m actually a bit sad that the race is over.”
Rohrbach and Flückiger’s winning time was an impressive 2 hours, 49 minutes and 11 seconds. Becking and Guerra Carretero were second on the stage, 1 minute and 42 seconds back, with Team St. Moritz’s Fadri Barandun and Vinzent Dorn third on the day, 2 minutes and 41 seconds behind the stage winners. On the general classification, the champion’s margin of victory was 6 minutes and 37 seconds over Buff Scott MTB Racing. Konny Looser and Sören Nissen, of STOLL & Stevens Racing, completed the final men’s podium.
In the women’s race there was no stopping Lüthi and De Groot. The Davos Klosters Women tried to take the fight to the overall leaders, but after a strong start Adelheid Morath and Angelika Tazreiter faded, losing second place on the trails to the Olympia - Rdr Italy Team, of Costanza Fasolis and Claudia Peretti. Up front, Gabriel Technologie continued their charge to victory, riding unchallenged through the second half of the stage, to a clean sweep of stage wins.
“We’re incredibly happy” smiled Lüthi. “Everything went super smoothly throughout the Swiss Epic, in Graubünden. We had an amazing support team – with our mechanic, our soigneur and my boyfriend’s parents – helping us along the way and after every stage. My boyfriend, Frans Claes, sadly couldn’t finish the race but I hope it makes him happy to see Robyn [de Groot] and me winning.”
Lüthi and De Groot’s winning time, for Stage 5, was 3 hours, 35 minutes and 9 seconds. Fasolis and Peretti were second, 2 minutes and 45 seconds back; while Morath and Tazreiter were third, at 7 minutes and 2 seconds. The Gabriel Technologie team’s general classification winning margin was 19 minutes and 17 seconds, over the Davos Klosters Women. The Olympia - Rdr Italy Team sealed the final podium position.
In the other racing categories, the leaders at the start of the stage all maintained their grips on their green, blue and purple leader jerseys. The Mixed category was won by the Bauer-Werner husband and wife team of Sebastian and Laura Stark. Five-time Absa Cape Epic winner, Karl Platt and his Team Bulls Mondraker partner Tomi Misser dominated the Masters category. While the Grand Masters category was won by the Stoll Bike Grand Master team of Thomas Girardi and Claudius Thommen.
Jean Francois Bossler was the sole rider to Conquer the Alps and receive an Epic Legend in addition to his Swiss Epic finisher medal. This medal is reserved for riders who have completed three Epic Series events, including the Absa Cape Epic.
With the Swiss Epic, in Graubünden, wrapped up for 2021 the attention now turns to the next Epic Series event, the flagship Absa Cape Epic. Scheduled for the 17th to the 24th of October 2021, in South Africa’s Western Cape province. The ninth edition of the Swiss Epic is set to take place in its now traditional late summer time slot. Teams wishing to take part in the race should bookmark 16 to 20 August 2022.
More information can be found at www.swiss-epic.com or www.epic-series.com.
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