Pre Perskindol Swiss Epic reminisce

Stage 1 The race started in Verbier. Day one was a time trial prologue, starting and finishing in Verbier and about 13km long. I struggled with the climbs so soon after flying and despite riding the technical descents later in the stage well we could only manage 4th, though time gaps were small.
The following morning the first stage set off once more from Verbier, taking a similar climb to the Grand Raid (which we had raced the previous month) as we headed across to Leukerbad covering 95kms and 3,100meters of climbing. 5h 50 minutes later we completed the stage in second place and up to second overall. Leukerbad itself is a spa town tucked right up against some impressively steep mountain sides. We would be here for 2 nights as the organisers had thoughtfully arranged the stages such that we stayed in each town for 2 nights, far more relaxing than having to pack every morning.

Satge 2 was a loop from Leukerbad back to Leukerbad. Covering the same amount of climbing as the previous day but with 63kms and no flat sections I found this stage tougher. Leukerbad surrounded by mountains meant the only way out was up, we climbed for about an hour which of course was followed by a long flowing and fast descent. This was pretty much the profile for the rest of the week. We continued to have a close battle with the mixed teams around us and after 4hour 48 we finished 3rd and dropped to third overall.

Stage 3 was a brilliant stage for us, we had our best ride and result of the week. Our main competitors all suffered mishaps and as a result of these 2 factors we won the stage and took the overall lead with a 28 min gap to 2nd.
It was another long stage with 90kms and 3000 meters of climbing from Leukerbad to Grachen
The stage started with a couple of short climbs, though not enough to split the groups up significantly. What did affect the result in the mixed category were punctures early on for both the Giant Team Obwalden and Scott-Sports teams we’ve been battling with, each pair puncturing 3 times during the stage. Whilst the Subaru MarathonMTB pair of Mike and Imogen were some way ahead, this left us battling for second with the strong climbing 3SaM Racing team though knowing we were better on the descents it could go either way. The first long descent was amazing with Switchback after switchback, some rocky, some sandy and some loamy, it was fast and fun. We exited the descent onto the valley floor where we were faced with a 15km flat section into a headwind before we hit the next climb. I sat close to Mark's wheel and we knew this was a section to suit our strengths and we powered along. Another long climb followed and I knew I was climbing well today. The trail merged into fun, exposed singletrack before leading into the second big descent of the day, and this one was even better than the first. The trail suited big-bikes and our 100mm hardtails were pushed hard, but with dropper posts fitted we were able to make a good showing of ourselves and about a third of the way down were surprised to catch and pass the leading mixed pair, which only spurred us on to ride harder and faster. We knew that from the bottom of this descent it was mostly climbing to the finish and that our best chances of opening a time gap on our competition was on this descent.
A few lumps lay ahead of us before the final climb, once more insufferably long. We rolled into Grachen in 6 hours 1 minute in first place.

Stage 4 was so.... tough, we had ridden hard the day before and at the time it felt fine but the next day back on the bike my legs and energy level were feeling the effort, from start to finish I was like a lead balloon. All I remember from this day was being passed constantly on the climbs and dropping further and further back amongst the riders. We started the day with a 27 minutes overall lead and with two strong teams (MarathonMTB and Scott-Sports) out of the race we knew we had a good chance of holding the overall lead so the day was all about survival. We lost 11 minutes to our closest competitiors Giant Obwalden and finished third on the stage. 

Stage 5.The fifth and final stage took us from Grachen to Zermatt. After 4 long stages of 5 to 6 hours I was so glad the last stage was a bit shorter at 60km and 2400m of climbing.
The stage Started with 3 km straight up and this was rapid as everyone wanted a good position for the 10 kms of single track that followed. There was a flat section at the bottom before the second climb of the day which was steep. We were sat in second with Team WeBike from Denmark having their strongest stage out of sight up ahead. The Giant Obwalden Team passed us half way up the climb at around 27km. I couldn't hold their speed on the climb for long but with 33kms to go and a 16 min overall lead we felt confident we could win the overall mixed category. We dropped down and then faced another longer climb. At the top we then had a nice rocky descent which dropped onto a bit of fast fire road descent and here I had a mechanical which stopped our race dead. We tried running for a bit but with 15kms to go there was no point. It was gutting not finishing but it happens, that is stage racing for you. We are just happy to return and give it another bash.
The mixed race chopped and changed all week due to some close racing, illness and mechanicals and in the end Giant Obwalden took the win. 

Overall verdict of the Perskindol Swiss Epic
We enjoyed the race a lot and knew we wanted to return. It was competitive and fun riding. It was challenging to race with the days being longer than expected. The climbs were very demanding and the descents were amazing, well worth all the climbing.

We liked the format of riders being sent off in stages. There are three start times in the Swiss Epic depending on your overall time with a 15 minute gap between them. This means when you get to the first bit of single track you can get a good run at it for the majority of time. The atmosphere has been so friendly and the Swiss Flow really works well alongside the Swiss Epic.

The organisation was outstanding, making it easy for every team. At the end of each stage there are people to clean your bike, Laundry is arranged, there is pasta/rice, cake and drinks right at the finish. The feed stations are well stocked up with energy drinks and gels for when your own run out. Mechanics are on hand at the finish and on course. The three hotels we stayed in were welcoming, the resorts stunning and relaxing. Dinner and Breakfast is included in the package and each meal was scrumptious.
Looking forward to getting stuck in for the third edition running from the 12th to 17th September, from Zermatt to Verbier.




Thanks as always to my support
Cyclopaedia
Fit In No Time
Le Col
OTE Sport
Lezyne
Mojo Suspension
WTB

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