The men’s race soon turned into a one-man show for Martin Fanger, who broke away from the pack on his own as early as the first long climb. Behind him, the other podium contenders, Alexandre Balmer and Fadri Barandun, joined forces. On the final climb to Kleine Schneidegg, Balmer, from the Romandy region, had more reserves left and secured second place. Barandun, from Graubünden, crossed the finish line in third. Bike Marathon Classics leader Frans Claes was unable to join the battle at the front, finishing fifth and thereby losing the lead in the national Bike Marathon Series to Fanger.

Fanger was understandably pleased. He said, “My tactic was to break away on the very first climb, because I didn’t want a head-to-head battle with Alexandre in the final stretch. My legs felt great, so I just went for it right away.” The temperatures were also ideal, especially at the start. It wasn’t until toward the end of the race, around noon, that it got hot again, Fanger explained, adding: “I’m very happy that this victory allows me to retake the lead in the Classics after things didn’t go so well for me last year.” He’s also very satisfied with his winning time.

Alessia Nay won by a clear margin

In the women’s race, too, the field was soon sorted out. Following the last-minute withdrawal of World Championship silver medalist Anna Weinbeer, Alessia Nay emerged as the top favorite. And it was indeed the athlete from Graubünden who took control of the race. On the second climb to Bort, she was already able to pull slightly ahead of her closest pursuer, Stefanie Zahno, and set the pace at the front for the rest of the course. Birgit Bless finished third.

“It was tough!” said Nay at the finish line, adding with a wink, “But it was also fun—especially the descents, like the one from Bachalpsee.” Just like Fanger, last year’s Swiss runner-up didn’t have things go as planned. A knee injury prevented Nay from competing in the season’s highlight, the Bike Marathon World Championships in Valais at the Grand Raid BCVS. “That makes me all the more excited for this year’s Grand Raid, which takes place in just two weeks. And, of course, I’m thrilled to be able to wear the Bike Marathon Classics jersey again,” explained the rider from Graubünden.

In the middle distance race, Elodie Python underscored her dominance with her third victory in the first three races of the Bike Marathon Classics. In the men’s race, former elite cyclist Thomas Litscher surprisingly took the top spot on the podium; he had ended his cross-country career prematurely in 2025 after a team contract fell through. Timé Liechti remains the overall leader, having finished fifth in Grindelwald. Incidentally, Litscher wasn’t the only former top rider. Eiger Bike record winner Urs Huber achieved a respectable sixth-place finish in the men’s long-distance race—and even placed one spot higher than last year, when he was still a professional rider.

Results / Classics Standings
Men (80 km): 1. Martin Fanger (Kägiswil) 4:26:41. 2. Alexandre Balmer (La Chaux-de-Fonds) 5:18. 3. Fadri Barandun (Samedan) 9:03. 4. Micha Klötzli (Tramelan) 10:11. 5. Frans Claes (Be/Gunten) 11:01. 6. Urs Huber (Mettmenstetten) 16:20. 7. Pascal Kiser (Giswil) 17:09. 8. Fabian Heinzer (Stans) 24:43. 9. Andreas Plüss (Ricken, AG) 46:33. 10. Stefan Spielmann (Lostorf) 50:38.

Women (80 km): 1. Alessia Nay (Zizers) 5:51:53. 2. Stefanie Zahno (Bürchen) 7:29. 3. Birgit Bless (Seewis-Dorf) 47:41. 4. Michèle Müller (Basel) 1:45:51. 5. Sabrina Bärtschi (Dussnang) 1:57:15.

Men (50 km): 1. Thomas Litscher (Thal) 2:35:42. 2. Baptiste Houriet (Charmey) 9:40. 3. Emilien Barben (Chez-le-Bart) 10:10. 4. Lubin Moinard (France) 13:09. 5. Timé Liechti (Tavannes).

Women (50 km): 1. Elodie Python (Boveresse) 3:17:32. 2. Dounia Challandes (Fribourg) 10:58. 3. Letizia Loretz (Langendorf) 15:11. 4. Nina Christen (Buochs) 22:27. 5. Ursina Condrau (Disentis-Muster) 23:13.