The Bike Days are symbiotically linked to racing: At this year's BMC Racing Cup with start and finish in Solothurn's Schanzengraben, hot duels between top stars can be seen on Saturday, May 10. World number 1 Nino Schurter will compete against world number 2 Julien Absalon in Solothurn. In the women's event, multiple world and European champion and defending champion Esther Süess will face serious competition from Italian world number 1 Eva Lechner.

Quick overture
The fast Eliminator race will kick off the BMC Racing Cup on Friday evening. The short course is compact and manageable in the jump trench, so visitors can follow the fast-paced race from start to finish.

The Öufi Cup becomes the race of the world champions
The Öufi Cup is part of the Bike Days kick-off. "This year, the Cup will be a race for world champions, with no fewer than four former world cycling champions from a wide range of disciplines taking part," says OC President Erwin Flury.

Mountain bike world champion 1996 and marathon mountain bike world champion 2003/2005, Thomas Frischknecht, will be riding for Team Scott, track cycling world champion 2002, 2003 and 2007 Franco Marvulli will be competing for two teams, for Team Price and for Velos for Africa.

In addition, the 1991 Downhill World Champion Albert Iten will be riding for Team Giant and the 2012 Eliminator World Champion and 2006 Marathon World Champion Ralph Näf will be riding for Team BMC. The brand teams, each with three riders, will battle it out on the 350-meter-long course in the jump trench - a very attractive and manageable layout for the spectators. After Scott in 2012 and Giant the following year, it will be interesting to see who will take the Öufi crown this year and create the champagne bath in the jump ditch.

Expanded dirt line
Every year, the large dirtline for the mountain bike dirt jump stands prominently in the jump trench. "The first jump is bigger and higher than last year and there is a second jump with a slight change of direction, which is why it's called a hip jump," says Ramon Hunziker from the Flying Metal Crew, who create the course.

The Mountain Bike Dirt Jump Team Battle will also be held on this dirt line for the first time: Mountain Bike Dirtjump riders will compete for their home country and it will be revealed which nation is the best.

The Chantierwiese becomes a playground for all bike fans
From Friday to Sunday, visitors to the Bike Days can find out about the latest innovations from the bike industry, get advice from experts and get on the saddle themselves at the two large bike fairgrounds, the Chantierwiese and the Kiesplatz. With over 300 brands on display and around 300 bike models to test, Bike Days visitors can get a good overview of the market.

On the pump track and the mini drome, Bike Days visitors can also get involved in the action themselves. The workshops are also hands-on: here you can not only learn how to repair flats, but also how to adjust the suspension of a mountain bike.

#velolove14 as a warm-up round
For around six weeks, the organizers whetted the appetite for bikes: bike fans could prove their love of bikes with a picture as part of the #velolove14 campaign. Over fifty original, loving and funny pictures ended up on the social media channels.

The winner of the campaign is Mario Mercorella from Neerach, who wins a bike weekend for two at the Hotel Lenzerhorn in Lenzerheide. "If it were up to me, I'd have my bike in my bedroom, but I have a wife!" says Mario happily, adding: "When we took the photo, the people in the church were already wondering what it was all about!"Young bike talents wanted
The "perspactives.com" platform was looking for young snow sports talents in the snowboard, freeski and ski cross sectors and found them. Now the platform is starting the new season in the bike sector and is beginning to look for new talent at the Bike Days. The "Rocket of the Day" - challenges in which young, enthusiastic bike talents can take part and win promising prizes. The "Rocket of the Day" is available in the BMC Racing Cup, MTB Dirtjump and Mini Drome disciplines.

www.bikedays.ch