Bike Marathon Classics President Stéphane Chevrier was delighted when he received the contracts for the two new additions. "Now the series is complete again," said the enthusiastic endurance biker, who organizes the Raid Evolenard in Valais with his team. This year, his race will also be held as the Swiss Championship. "We've found a good time slot that doesn't overlap with other major competitions in neighboring countries," says Chevrier confidently about the title race, which will take place in Evolène on 21 June.

Three weeks later, the next marathon classic will take place in the face of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau with the Eiger Bike Challenge in Grindelwald on the second weekend in August. But it gets even more physically demanding: the Grand Raid BCVS, the oldest of its kind, which was held as the World Marathon Championship in 2025, involves covering 125 kilometers and 5025 vertical meters between Verbier and Grimentz.

One week later, the 141 km long National Park Bike Marathon will be the longest test of the sextet, which will be held for the 25th time this year. On the last weekend of September, the series will come to a worthy conclusion at the Iron Bike Race in Einsiedeln, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026.

In sporting terms, an exciting year is expected, as Urs Huber and Hansueli Stauffer, two successful winners and podium riders for decades, will retire at the end of 2025. There is no shortage of successors. From the reigning Swiss champion Casey South, who won his first World Cup at the end of 2025, to the experienced Marc Stutzmann, who has achieved a number of top placings at the highest level. The Frenchman Alexandre Balmer, Swiss champion in 2024, has also shown that he can keep up with the best. He will also have his say if his road racing calendar allows. The veteran Martin Fanger, overall winner of the Classics from 2022 to 2024, has also returned to top form for the season finale after a slow start last year. It will be exciting to see who from the young guard, consisting of Fadri Barandum, Andrin Beeli, Micha Klötzli and Fabian Heizer, will be able to catch up with the top riders.

A new star has risen in the women's race with last year's runner-up Anna Weinbeer. The Basel-based rider, overall winner of the 2025 Classics, is facing a season of proving herself. Likewise Alessia Nay, the overall Classics winner in 2024, who is returning from injury. If the young Frenchwoman Elodie Python, last year's Classics overall winner in the middle distance, switches to long-distance races, this could trigger new momentum in the women's peloton.

Race calendar 2026

#1 Jura Bike Marathon, Sunday, 17. May, Vallorbe, VD
#2 Raid Evolénard, Sunday, June 21, Evolène, VS (Swiss Championships)
#3 Eiger Bike Challenge, Saturday, August 8, Grindelwald, BE
#4 Grand Raid BCVS, Saturday, 22. August, Verbier - Grimentz, VS
#5 National Park Bike Marathon, Saturday, August 29, Scuol, GR
#6 BikeSide MTB Festival, Sunday, September 27, Einsiedeln, SZ

The overall winners 2025: Hansueli Stauffer and Anna Weinbeer

More information on the race series