Fabian Giger is in the leading group right from the start and Mathias Flückiger is also always at the front. Last year's winner Lukas Flückiger had to ride his way to the front after a weak start. After passing Florian Vogel, he was able to catch up with the leading duo of Fabian Giger and Mathias Flückiger. The race is thus reopened in the last two of seven laps. Mathias Flückiger makes an attempt to escape on lap six, but the gap he is able to ride out with his attack is not big enough. It allowed Fabian Giger to counterattack on the long asphalt climb at the start of the last lap. "The climb suits me," says Giger later at the finish and adds: "I rode out a small lead and after the last few weeks I know that it will be very difficult for the others to close such gaps if I keep going."

The self-confidence of fourth place at the World Cup in Albstadt and the silver medal at the European Championships in St. Wendel is clear to see. Mathias Flückiger, who skipped the European title fights due to illness, is no longer able to catch up with Giger. "I am happy. It's always nice to win and here in Gränichen it's especially fun," says Giger about his second win of the season. Mathias Flückiger, who is not yet at one hundred percent health-wise, is very satisfied with his performance. "I'm very happy that it went so well despite my lack of training. I had quite a bit of power again and it's a nice feeling to be able to ride for the win again," explained the 2012 World Championship bronze medallist, who takes over the lead in the overall standings from absent German BMC rider Moritz Milatz.

Lukas Flückiger, last year's winner, also drew a positive balance. "I couldn't keep up with the pace in the first two laps. I had to invest a lot to get to the front. That's probably why I lacked the strength in the end," explains Lukas Flückiger, who has had to accept rather disappointing results in recent weeks. Florian Vogel and Martin Gujan completed the podium in fourth and fifth place. The top Swiss riders are almost among themselves in Gränichen. The reigning European champion and double Olympic champion Julien Absalon from France will not be at the start due to injury. After a crash in training on Saturday, he had to undergo a minor operation on his knee in hospital.

Neff in a class of her own
Jolanda Neff is in a class of her own in Gränichen. The overall World Cup leader in the elite category outclassed the competition by riding the fastest time on every lap. After the 25-kilometer race, Neff wins with a whopping 3:30-minute lead over her Polish teammate and European Championship bronze medallist Maja Wloszczowska.

Neff refers with a wink to the European Championship race in the U23 category eight days earlier in St. Wendel. "The U23 race was apparently the ideal preparation. Today was really cool. The course was great, the spectators were great and the feeling was great too," said the U23 world champion jubilantly at the finish. When she was in front, she simply set her pace and didn't worry about anything else.

Poland's Maja Wloszczowska had a stupid fall on the first lap, as she said herself. "I flew three meters into the bushes," she says with a laugh at the finish. From ninth position, she quickly worked her way up to Neff's pursuers and from the fourth of six laps onwards, she rode alone in second place. However, she had to fend off the stubborn pursuer Kathrin Stirnemann. "I didn't think I would have to fight so hard for second place against Kathrin," confessed Wloszczowska.

Stirnemann finishes twelve seconds behind the former world champion and is happy with her podium finish. In the third lap, she was able to leave her club colleague from RC Gränichen, Esther Süss, behind. "I could feel the pollen on the first lap, so my lungs were pretty congested. At some point it suddenly got better and from then on it was fun. I was able to use my home advantage because I knew all the lines. It was great to ride in front of this backdrop. However, Maja was too strong to be able to attack again," says Stirnemann.
Esther Süss and Russia's Irina Kalentyeva completed the podium in fourth and fifth place respectively.Kiwi victory in the U23
New Zealander Samuel Gaze wins the specially organized U23 race. Gaze opened up a 25-second lead over the chasing pack in the first two laps, but was put in danger by Lars Forster's final offensive. Forster pulled away from Andri Frischknecht and came within ten seconds of the winner of the Eliminator World Cup in Cairns. "It took a while for my legs to open up. I didn't feel so confident in the downhills after dislocating my shoulder six weeks ago, but I'm quite happy with my race," summarized Forster.

Junior women: Koller takes revenge
In the junior race, Filippo Colombo from Ticino celebrates his first win of the season in the BMC Racing Cup. Colombo wins ahead of Robin Gemperle and the German Lars Koch. Colombo crashed on the first lap, but was then able to quickly catch up with Gemperle and outpace him with an attack on the climb. In the junior women's race, Nicole Koller was able to take revenge for her defeat in the sprint at the European Championships in St. Wendel. After a long solo, she wins confidently ahead of Sina Frei and world and European champion Alessandra Keller.

www.bmc-racing-cup.ch

Results BMC Racing Cup Gränichen/ UCI HC
Elite men
1.	Fabian Giger (SUI)	Giant Pro XC Team	1:28.55,0
2.	Mathias Flückiger (SUI)	Stöckli Pro Team	+0:00.17,8
3.	Lukas Flückiger (SUI)	BMC Mountainbike Racing Team	+0:00.28,2
4.	Florian Vogel (SUI)	Scott Odlo MTB Racing Team	+0:01.47,1
5.	Martin Gujan (SUI)	Orange Monkey Pro Team	+0:02.46,8
6.	Reto Indergand (SUI)	BMC Mountainbike Racing Team	+0:02.57,2
7.	Frank Beemer (NED)	Garderen MPL-Specialized	+0:03.12,4
8.	Marcel Wildhaber (SUI)	Scott Odlo MTB Racing Team	+0:03.24,8
9.	Emil Lindgren (SWE)	Giant Pro XC Team	+0:03.35,2
10.	Michiel van der Heijden (NED)	Giant Pro XC Team	+0:04.10,1
Elite women
1.	Jolanda Neff (SUI)	Liv Pro XC Team	1:26.20,1
2.	Maja Wloszczowska (POL)	Liv Pro XC Team	+0:03.30,4
3.	Kathrin Stirnemann (SUI)	Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team	+0:03.42,7
4.	Esther Süss (SUI)	Wheeler iXS Team	+0:05.28,6
5.	Irina Kalentjeva (RUS)	RusVelo / Möbel Märki	+0:06.04,6
6.	Adelheid Morath (GER)	Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team	+0:06.36,5
7.	Corina Gantenbein (SUI)	Fischer - BMC	+0:07.10,7
8.	Nina Wrobel (GER)	Merida-Schulte	+0:07.29,8
9.	Linda Indergand (SUI)	Strüby-Bixs Team	+0:08.17,0
10.	Lene Byberg (NOR)	Bryne ck	+0:08.54,8
Juniors
1.	Filippo Colombo (SUI)	Velo Club Monte Tamaro - BMC	1:09.02,8
2.	Robin Gemperle (SUI)	Scott Odlo MTB Racing Team	+0:00.40,0
3.	Lars Koch (GER)	Team LEXWARE	+0:00.43,9
4.	Johan Jacobs (SUI)	arta building/vc steinmaur	+0:01.07,8
5.	Ramon Lauener (SUI)	jb Felt Team	+0:01.10,7
Junior girls
1.	Nicole Koller (SUI)	Tower Sports - VC Eschenbach	1:00.36,7
2.	Sina Frei (SUI)	jb Felt Team	+0:02.04,3
3.	Alessandra Keller (SUI)	Strüby-Bixs Team	+0:02.37,9
4.	Aline Seitz (SUI)	Specialized Racing CH	+0:05.02,3
5.	Pierrina Beeli (SUI)	bskGraf-Rollmat-Koba MTB Team	+0:05.53,5
Amateurs/Masters
1.	Jürg Graf (SUI)	bskGraf-Rollmat-Koba MTB Team	1:07.59,7
2.	Marcel Bartholet (SUI)	WHEELER - iXS Team	+0:00.15,4
3.	Manuel Fasnacht (SUI)	Fischer Junior MTB Team	+0:02.33,4