Andreas Seewald pulverizes course record at the Raid Evolenard

With German champion Andreas Seewald and marathon World Cup leader Vera Looser, the two favorites have won the Raid Evolenard. Seewald, who had already become European champion on the course in 2021, beat Johann Tschopp's course record from 2015 by 4:53 minutes on his winning run and collected a prize of 4,000 Swiss francs.

The race courses of the two winners were not identical, however. While Andreas Seewald already pulled away on the first climb to "Chalet vieux" and continuously extended his lead over the first chasers to over ten minutes, Vera Looser had to bite at first. The German marathon champion Tanja Priller had triggered a leading trio with her early pace setting, in which Looser was not represented. However, while Priller suffered for pushing the pace and dropped back to eighth place over the course of the race, Looser got into the race better and better and eventually won by almost six minutes ahead of the Frenchwoman Margot Moschetti and the Swiss champion Irina Lützelschwab. In the men's race, last year's winner Martin Fanger finished in second place ahead of Fadri Barandun from Graubünden, who crashed in the final descent.

"I was able to benefit from my experience, as I knew the course from the 2021 European Championships and was able to manage my strength accordingly," explained Seewald at the finish. However, he had hoped that he wouldn't have to ride the whole race alone. "I was surprised that I was able to pull away so early," said the former world champion and Grand Raid course record holder, who had already arrived on Tuesday to train on the course. "I only have good memories of Evolène, also in connection with the Grand Raid. I feel good from here. Because from here, the Grand Raid really starts to pick up and that suits me," said Seewald.

When asked about the ten-minute gap, second-placed Martin Fanger was at first lost for words. Then he said: "In the middle of the race I was actually cursing inside because the gap to Seewald was getting bigger and bigger and I had no chance. At the beginning I tried to keep up, but soon realized that I simply couldn't do it. It was like David against Goliath." Fadri Barandun, who achieved a podium place for the first time at the Raid Evolenard, was very satisfied. Only the fall in the final descent would not have been necessary, explained the Grisons native. A brief moment of not paying attention - and the front wheel slipped and he landed roughly on the ground.

It was good not to keep up with the high pace at the start of the race, said Vera Looser. "I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep it up for 3,000 meters. And I also knew that the others riding at the front couldn't do it either," explained Looser with a smile. At the end of the first climb at L'Etoile, she was back with the leading group. "From then on, I rode at my own rhythm."

"The training with Arnaud Rapillard on the course paid off," said second-placed Margot Moschetti. At the 2021 European Championships, she "died" horribly on the second part of the course on the climb to "La Forclaz". This time, she managed her strength more wisely and was very happy with the result.

Swiss champion Irina Lützelschwab, who lacked strength on the tough course, seemed less happy. She said: "I fell ill at the World Cup in Nove Mesto. I haven't fully recovered from that yet. The Raid Evolenard with its climbs is not the ideal terrain to build up form. Especially when you ride as fast as you did today right at the start."

Organizing Committee President Stéphane Chevrier drew a positive balance: "Once again, we were lucky with the weather. This had a positive effect on the number of participants. With 635 bikers, we had ten percent more participation than last year, when it was scorching hot."

The next race of the Bike Marathon Classics will take place on July 14 at the Summer Bike Marthon in Chateau d`Oex.