Video and Race Report: 2019 Swiss Enduro Cup - Round 2
Photos by Antoine Fournier, Video by Camille Germann, Words by Virgile Lecoultre
July 20th, 2019. Zinal, Valais, Switzerland, hosted the 2nd round of this year Swiss Enduro Cup which also served as the first (albeit unofficial), ever, Swiss Enduro Championship. The race, Rock the Besso, 5th edition, challenged riders over 6 stages. The 44 km course had a total of 1800 m of climbing, 3 gondola lifts and 3600 m of downhill.
Along with 188 starters, top Swiss and French EWS riders (Mélanie Pugin, Gustav Wildhaber, Maxime Chapuis, Patrick Luthi, Theotim Trabac, Tim Bratschi), local heroes and riders from Switzerland, France, Luxemburg, Germany, Italy gathered in Zinal for this one-day race.
Zinal is located at the far end of the Val d'Annivers and is surrounded by 5 summits over 4000m. Guess which summit the Besso is.
Cristal-clear skies, comfortable temperatures were with the riders for this 5th edition of Rock the Besso. The course provided a blend of what the Valais has to offer in terms of trails: stage 1 and 2, which together form stage 5, starting above the tree line and ending 1000m below had a majority of high-speed, dusty, rocky trails. Stage 3, starting on the opposite side of the valley, is a steeper and slower stage and offers riders a mix of tight switchbacks in soft loam and larch needles and off-camber traverses. Back on the other side, stage 4 is again a mix between fast rocky and rooty traverses and switchbacks at its end. Stage 6 required riders to hike a bike and closed the race by providing a steep, soft, fresh trail in loam and larch needles.
Alpine meadows to reach the start of stage 1
Today’s winner Gustav Wildhaber creating new lines on stage 1
Can you smell the larch needles on stage 3?
As stressful as racing? Volunteers preparing a variety of fresh foods and drinks for riders after stages 3, 4 and 5
Organizers at work
Podium contenders and last years’ winners Maxime Chappuis (Specialized Racing), Manu Allaz (Orbea Cross Road) and Peter Stephan (Wheeler IXS) were unable to follow Gusti Wildhaber (Cube Action Team)’s pace, who took it by winning every single stage of the day. Tim Bratschi (Wheeler IXS) and Patrick Luthi (Scott Prof) completed the podium.
In the women’s race EWS podium contender and Rock the Besso past winner Melanie Pugin (Pivot Supertour) took the win, with Sidonie Jolidon and Andrea Kuster at the 2nd and 3rd position.
The juniors’ race was taken by Robin Kuechler (RMC Obwalden), Emeric Ienzer (Bold Cycles),Liam Seydoux (Bold Cycles). The Masters 40+ race was dominated by Florian Golay (Lapierre-CrossRoad Cycles), followed by José Carron and Raphael Salamin (Cyclone Gravity).
Maxime Chappuis charging on stage 6
Last year’s winner Patrick Luthi could not take it this year
Ludo May (BMC Switzerland). Racing is about having fun on the bike, isn't it?
Full throttle for Andrea Kuster on stage 5. Feeling the arm pump?
A few more switchbacks on stage 6 before reaching the finish line
Not your average camper van. Beer time after stage 6
The Men’s category podium: Gustav Wildhaber (1st), Tim Bratschi (2nd), Patrick Luethi (3rd). Women’s podium: Melanie Pugin (1st), Sidonie Jolidon (2nd), Andrea Kuster (3rd).
Time for the National anthem for Robin Kuechler, Florian Golay, Sidonie Jolidon and Gustav Wildhaber
Full results here
More infos about the race here and here
More infos about the Bold Enduro Helveticup here and here
PS: did I mention the after-race party somewhere?
Author Info:
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Just one thing though: there was a present for any entry. I must say I did not quite understood what that was!
DH racing on dh tracks = fine.
Enduro racing in a bike park = fine
Enduro racing on loamy hiking trails...not a great idea. the track will be bombed out afterwards, not be able to recover for a while and not be fun to ride any more...and might create conflicts with the hiking community.
Mountainbiking is booming at the moment, a lot of singletrails are worn out even without racing.
Full trottle berm bashing is not what we need in Switzerland!
Compared to what industrial skiing is doing to Nature, this is definitely a minor problem. + trails are not nature. They’re man maid. A single hefty rainstorm does much more to the trails than 90kg racers+bike...
Enduro racing in a bike park = fine"
Same thing, different bike. Not sure it represents enduro racing.
These races are approved/encouraged by the local community who also takes care of the trails.
"a lot of singletrails are worn out even without racing"
Totally agree. Racing on them does not change things much.
Enduro racing in a bike park = fine"
In 25 years he didn't realise that a DH race is raced in a bike park... I really dont know what kind of bike he has been riding during 25 years but it wasnt a mountain bike ....
Enduro is single trails riding and what better thing than swiss hiking/biking trails.
Second : all the organizators from the Swiss Enduro Cup are closely working with the municipality and forest service to define the track which could be raced on and everything is made to give back the trails in a good shape after the race. It means hours of trail preparation before and after the race!!! So when you don’t know about how it works behind, you better to shut up and come riding the race and drink beers as it’s support an whole team of Volunteers who are working very hard to improve the bike scene in their local area !!!
P.s : In Switzerland all the pedestrians ways are made by humans making ( machines and etc) so their are very sustainable. At first their where made for cows and horse to go up in the mountains. And if you don’t know that it means you never get involve in making them, so let the pro do it
Peace out & sorry for the bad english