RETURN TO THE SWISS EPIC
The Swiss Epic stands out from the rest of the global Epic Series for a number of reasons – but it has a special attraction for our Editor.
YOU CAN GO MOUNTAIN BIKING WITHOUT MOUNTAINS, BUT WHAT’ S THE POINT?
There is a box in my workshop that is full of race plates. They are a ratty collection that is mixed up with plates from my wife’s racing exploits as well. There are plates from 6 hour events, club races, British cyclocross races, a US 100 mile race, The Cape Epic, Crocodile Trophy, most Australian marathons, national rounds, national championships, World championships, The Pioneer – and one special set sitting in there from 2015, the Perskindol Swiss Epic. I am lucky enough to have ridden and raced in a lot of places, but this race has always stuck in my mind.
Back in 2015 my fiance Imogen Smith and I jetted off to Switzerland, then travelled to Verbier and its bike park for the 6-day mountain bike stage race. In the past two years we had finished 3rd at Transalp, 3rd at the Sudety MTB Challenge in Poland, and at least Imogen had won some big races including the Crocodile Trophy.
After the prologue we had the race lead in the mixed pairs category, and got to start the next stage on the front row with our heroes of marathon and cross-country racing. It was surreal. We gained time each day until a stomach bug derailled our race on the 4th day, and we abandoned.
The desire to go back and finish the race was strong – but preparing for a stage race in Europe has a heavy cost both on finances and time. When the Swiss Epic not only became part of the global Epic Series with The Pioneer and the Cape Epic but moved east to the canton of Graubuenden in Switzerland, we knew it was time to go back. You have probably seen the videos with Danny MacAskill and Claudio Caluori, in the ‘Home of Trails’? Well, that region is Graubuenden. And yeah, there are a lot of exceptional trails. So in 2019 it was time to go back to the Swiss Epic.
MOUNTAINS AND ALPINE LIFESTYLE
One of the greatest reasons I wanted to return to the Swiss Epic was the same reason I wanted to go in the first place – for the challenge and reward of mountain biking in high mountains. The alpine scenery in Switzerland is pretty much as depicted in any advertising you see, and same for everything else. The mountains are tall and often snow capped, the fields are rolling green, the forests are mixes of larch, pine, birch and the smell of summer. The rivers run fast and cool, and the food is exceptional. The beer is passable, but the wine is really good.
There are mountainous regions that are higher or more dramatic, but the Swiss Alps are very accessible. They are littered with trails, some ancient, some purpose-built for mountain bikers. And you can ride just about whichever you like. The Swiss Epic updates its trails each year, so you will always be riding something new, and the trail team work hard to open up new trails for the event.
In 2019 I got to tick some bucket list experiences when racing the Swiss Epic. That included riding over the Albula Pass, which we did both ways, and riding some of the trails in Davos Klosters. The riding around St Moritz was some of my favourite, and I’m lucky enough that I’d done a lot of that before in different events or riding trips. The Engadin Valley where St Moritz is has an extensive network of trails, from singletrack climbs, flow trail descents, high alpine singletrack and fast woodland trails. We did stages with descents (and climbs!) covering over 1300m difference, and we rode trails as narrow as your hand through to riding on classic alpine road climbs and racing through centuries old villages. We were completely immersed in the mountains.
SWISS EPIC DAYS
Given stages have so much climbing and trails, racing the Swiss Epic is a little different to the Cape Epic or The Pioneer. There is a lot less time on the road, and if you are on something sealed or hard packed, you’re probably on a climb. The singletrack you ride will be a mix of hiking trails, ancient routes or purpose-built trail, and just about any trail you use will be taking you somewhere, and not just on a tour of a mountain bike park.
This is a stand out feature of the Swiss Epic, and one that often gets overlooked. While the event uses purpose-built trails, it also uses long trails that travel between towns and valleys, and this is what makes the Swiss Epic such a journey. Even with a route that stays in each town for two nights, you truly get a sense of going somewhere.
As a pairs race, it’s important to ride well together, but the more technical terrain adds another element. So you need to use this for your team. My wife is a world-class rider in this type of event, and we are faster as a team when she leads on almost all technical terrain. It’s harder for her to see past me on the trail than the other way around – plus I really need to get some prescription riding glasses! But there’s no point for one rider to bomb a descent and leave their team mate picking their way down. Work together – it’s faster, safer and more satisfying working as a team.