It was 1991 and mountain biking was still a very young sport in Switzerland. But the new trend sport, which originated in America, quickly caught fire in this country too. Hans Hirter was one of the driving forces. He practically brought the sport of biking to Gränichen - or even to the entire canton of Aargau. As part of the "Aargauer Mountainbike Meisterschaft", which was organized by the then cantonal association SRB Aargau, a mountain bike race was held in Gränichen for the first time.

Family affair for Stirnemanns

The RC Gränichen, which up to this point had mainly been actively involved in organizing bike crosses, kilometer tests and skills races, was therefore involved in the first steps of mountain biking. The first ever world championships had only taken place a year earlier, in Durango (USA). The first Swiss championships would not even follow until three years later, in 1994.

One of the people who "slipped" into this scene and RC Gränichen in the mid-1990s was Beat Stirnemann: "It became a bit of a family affair," says the real Mister Bike in Gränichen. In 1994, his brother Paul took over the OC presidency for four years, followed by Beat himself for two years before he became the U19 national coach. He then handed over this position to another brother, Peter. From 1999 to 2010, Peter Stirnemann and his team left their mark on the Swiss bike scene. In the meantime, the race in Gränichen had matured from a cantonal to a national and even an international event.

Australian wins at the Swiss Championships

The first Swiss Championships, which were held for the first time in the municipality at the entrance to the Wynental in 2000, were a special milestone. These championships were special in many ways, as Beat Stirnemann still remembers today: "The Australian Cadel Evans, who later also won the Tour de France, was the winner. Back then, foreigners were still allowed to compete in the Swiss Championships," recalls the coach, who is still extremely committed today. Swiss television was also on site and reported almost exclusively on the winner, Cadel Evans. "The media coverage led to the regulations being changed and since then only Swiss riders have been allowed to compete in the championships," Stirnemann recalls.

The Swiss Championships have now been held in Gränichen a total of five times (2000, 2007, 2010, 2019, 2020). While the organizing committee was led by Manuel Eichenberger from 2011 to 2020, the event was also upgraded in the international calendar. The race has had "Hors Categorie" status since 2012. This means that only the World Cup races are ranked higher.

Continuously growing challenges

Since last year, Rafael Geiser has taken over the presidency after it was even unclear whether a successor could be found for Manuel Eichenberger. "Someone has to do it," says the new OC President with a laugh and immediately adds that he can rely on an extremely experienced and well-coordinated team.

The fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult for volunteer clubs and organizations to organize such a large event has not stopped in Gränichen either. The requirements have increased massively over the last thirty years. In the last few years in particular, RC Gränichen has had to struggle intensively to obtain permission to hold the event. According to Geiser, the major challenges are not in the area of requirements, but also in the area of sponsorship and therefore financing.

New route sought from 2025

It is clear that Gränichen will continue after thirty events. It is also clear that the team around OC President Geiser will have to remain agile in the future. Because from 2025, the heart of the course in Gränichen, the large gravel pit, will be completely renaturalized. The team is already starting to think about how top-class competitive biking can be practiced at the same location after 2025.

700 to 800 participants expected

Around 700 to 800 riders are expected on both race days, from the junior and hobby categories to the professionals. In the men's race, Switzerland's Vital Albin, Thomas Litscher, Joel Roth from Gränich and Andri Frischknecht will be challenging New Zealand's Anton Cooper. In the women's event, the high-flyer of the World Cup season so far, Rebecca McConnell (Aus), is the absolute top favorite. From a Swiss perspective, Cup leader Seraina Leugger, Ramona Forchini and U23 rider Noel Burri have the best chances of a podium finish.

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