The weather conditions challenged the field of riders on both days. The heavy rain on the training day turned the dusty trails into a slippery ride. With some of the high alpine stages in the Bike Kingdom, the temperatures became an additional challenge. Just in time for the start of Stage 1 on Alp Stätz, however, the rays of sunshine hit the Kingdom and promised a somewhat more pleasant race day.
On the first stage, Sidonie Jolidon took a big lead of 11 seconds over the German Veronika Brüchle. The winner of the last Hottrail round, Nora Schaub, finished the stage in 3rd place. Tim Bratschi took victory on the first stage with a five-second lead over Gustav Wildhaber. The latter returned to the race track three weeks after a quadruple rib fracture and already showed a top performance. Mirco Widmer positioned himself in third place after the first stage.

Gusti Wildhaber won the second stage with a five-second lead over Tim Bratschi, meaning these two were within one second of each other after two stages. Sidonie Jolidon won the second stage, ahead of Veronika Brüchle and Caro Gehrig. Nora Schaub, who had been in third place until then, had to abandon the race after a broken pedal on stage 2 and plate on stage 3. After the second stage, the gladiators left the valley floor and headed up to the Rothorn. The third stage started at over 2800 meters above sea level. In Gusti Wildhaber's favored terrain, he caught up with his rival, who had started thirty seconds earlier, before a flat front tire ruined his chances of a top 3 result. Tim Bratschi also shone on the third stage, winning it ahead of Luca Jenni and Stefan Peter. In the women's race, Anita Gehrig celebrated her first stage win of 2022 ahead of Austrian Hanna Steinthaler and her twin sister Caro Gehrig.

Stage 4 was long and technical, leading over the rocky and physical Great White trail into the Downhill World Cup course in the bike park. Terrain that suited athletes with a downhill background. Elia Saurer finished the stage in third place, Tim Bratschi in second and Gusti Wildhaber won the fourth stage. Before the final fifth stage, which was a repeat of the DH World Cup part of the fourth stage, Tim Bratschi led with a comfortable lead of 30 seconds over Mirco Widmer and 50 seconds ahead of his team-mate Stefan Peter, who was just one second ahead of Elia Saurer. Caro Gehrig, who competed in the 2018 Downhill World Championships on this part of the stage, won the fourth stage ahead of Veronika Brüchle and Anita Gehrig. Before the final stage, Veronika Brüchle was in the lead, ahead of Caro Gehrig and Sidonie Jolidon. There was only a one-second difference between Jolidon and Gehrig. Veronika Brüchle's lead was already 32 seconds.

Tim Bratschi is now just 20 points ahead of Mirco Widmer in the series lead. Jonas Bernet and Stefan Peter are in close pursuit, 105 and 110 points behind the leader Bratschi respectively. In the women's series, Sidonie Jolidon can hardly be challenged for the lead. She is in first place with a lead of 260 points, followed by Caro and Anita Gehrig, who are 310 points behind.
The next and final race of the Swiss Enduro Series will take place next weekend in Airolo.

swissenduro.ch