As expected, two men's races developed within the Grand Raid BCVS: the one for the stage win and the one for the Swiss championship. The preliminary decision was made on the climb to Mandelon after 70 of 125 kilometers, when the leading group of Alexandre Balmer, Andreas Seewald, Casey South, Marc Stutzmann, Martin Fanger, Urs Huber and Hansueli Stauffer broke up under the pace dictated by Seewald. The three-time German champion reached Evolène with a lead of just under a minute on his first pursuers Balmer and Stutzmann. Stauffer, South and the other stragglers were already three or more minutes behind. 

At the start of the final climb in Eison, the former two-time marathon world champion Seewald was already three minutes ahead of Stutzmann and Balmer and five ahead of the second chasing group with South, the Spaniard Martin Bou and Stauffer. The German champion tackled the notorious march up the Pas de Lona with a lead of almost eight minutes on the larger chasing group of Balmer, South, Stutzmann and Bou. As first on the Pas de Lona with a huge lead of 9:38 minutes over Balmer, it was clear that Seewald could now only beat himself.

Hind the now five-time Grand Raid winner, who was the only one to stay under the six-hour mark with his time of 5:57:39, and the new Swiss bike marathon champion Balmer, however, there was still some castling in the last 20 kilometers before the finish. Six-time record winner Urs Huber made up a lot of ground in the final climb and especially in the run section, while defending champion Stutzmann, South from Eastern Switzerland and Stauffer from Sigriswil lost time. Bou finally crossed the finish line in third place ahead of SM silver medal winner Huber and Stutzmann, who secured bronze.

In the women's race, title holder Irina Lützelschwab took the day's victory with superiority and thus her second Swiss championship title ahead of Bike Marathon Classics leader Alessia Nay, who took silver with a brilliant chase. Janina Wüst, runner-up at the 2022 European Championships, came third on the day, securing Swiss Championship bronze ahead of Italian champion Claudia Peretti. Behind the superior Lützelschwab, Nay in particular showed a spirited race in the last third of the course, distancing not only Wüst but also the Italian and French champion Margot Moschetti, who rode well ahead of Nay on the Mandelon.  

Results

Men (125 km)

1. Anreas Seewald (De) 5:57:39. 
2. Alexandre Balmer (La Chaux-de-Fonds) 9:51. 
3. Martin Bou (Sp) 10:22. 
4. Urs Huber (Mettmenstetten) 10:39. 
5. Marc Stutzmann (Wimmis) 12:50. 
6. Casey South (Frauenfeld) 15:36. 
7. Juri Ragnoli (It) 21:19. 
8. Martin Fanger (Geneva) 22:10. 
9. Hansueli Stauffer (Sigiriswil) 30:00. 
10. Antoine Debons (Fr) 35:54.

Women (125 km) 

1. Irina Lützelschwab (Wallbach) 7:39:24.
2. Alessia Nay (Zizers) 13:24.
3. Janina Wüst (Lupfig) 23:39. 
4. Claudia Peretti (It) 31:41.
5. Margot Moschetti (Fr) 36:03.  

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