In the sunshine, Mayor and National Councillor Kurt Fluri opened the Bike Days 2017 with the starting signal for the traditional Öufi Cup. He wished the festival all the best for the next two days and a little luck with the weather: "Unfortunately, I don't have a say in the weather, the parish will take care of that," he admitted with a grin."

The Öufi Cup got off to a fast start. Before competing against the Bike Days team "the unbeatable three" in the grand final, the teams had to prove themselves in the qualifying round. Four teams qualified for the final competition. This went over six laps in the ski jump trench. The outstanding winner was the "Bike Team Solothurn" team, which once again took home the coveted challenge cup. The "Thömus" team proved their mettle. While they were still in fourth place after the first rider change, the team fought their way up to second place. The Bike Days team rode to third place. The three riders only revealed themselves at the end. Hidden under the black helmets were the bike pros Jolanda Neff (Thal/SG), Andrea Waldis (Morschach/SZ) and Eva Lechner (ITA). All three will be competing in the Proffix Swiss Bike Cup on Saturday at 1.30 pm. The MTB dirt jump show and the subsequent Bike Night will bring the first of the three festival days to a close.

Test, be amazed, experience

For another two days, everything in Solothurn revolves around bikes. At the Velo-Expo with over 120 exhibitors and 250 different brands, visitors can find out about the latest trends and get advice. Countless bike models are available for testing in the Test Village. The Active Zone offers action with a pump track, slow race, mini drome and roller sprint and invites visitors to take part. Saturday will also be action-packed. That's when the dirt jumpers and flatlanders will be battling it out in the FMB World Tour and BMX Flatland World Circuit. Exciting races are also expected at the Proffix Swiss Bike Cup with Olympic champion Nino Schurter (Chur/GR), five-time world champion Julien Absalon (FRA) and two-time overall MTB World Cup winner Jolanda Neff.

www.bikedays.ch