The exhausting 3400 meters of altitude difference spread over just 80 kilometers of the Summer Bike Marathon were tough. Surprising rain made the already challenging course even trickier, especially on the steep descents. Fadri Barandun in particular felt the effects of this. Riding in the leading trio with Martin Fanger and Hansueli Stauffer, a puncture on the descent from Rodomont, the highest point of the course, put an end to the Grisons rider's ambitions of victory after only about a third of the distance. From then on, Fanger and Stauffer duelled for victory. After Saanen, the last turning point about 20 km before the finish, Fanger was able to pull away slightly. But a tire defect brought him back to Stauffer. In the final sprint, Stauffer was ultimately beaten by Fanger by five seconds.

"That was more of a Hitchcock finale than I would have liked. After a puncture on a descent, I had to repair and re-pump on the following climb. This allowed Hansueli to catch up again. He rode very strongly in the final," said Fanger, praising his opponent. Stauffer said: "I initially struggled to find my way into the race, but then relatively soon caught up with the leaders. Of course I'm happy about that, because I had a crash a few days ago at the altitude training camp in the Engadine and didn't know how that would affect me. Martin is a very strong sprinter. That's why I have to be happy with the result." Barandun was less happy: "I hit a stone badly on the descent and couldn't mend it properly. That cost me a lot of time. I had to change my bike in the next tech zone." At least he now has proof that his form is good. This makes him feel positive about the Swiss Championships in four weeks' time on the Eiger Bike and the big marathons in the second half of the season.

Adrien Chenaux was the best French-speaking Swiss rider to reach the finish line in fourth place and expressed his satisfaction: "Fanger and Stauffer are normally stronger than me on the uphill and downhill. Nevertheless, I was able to keep up well on the first mountain and simply kept up the high rhythm. That was great fun, also because I really like the course."

In the women's race, Paula Gorycka celebrated a start-finish victory that she never threatened. "I did this race with a view to the World Championships in Scotland and of course I wanted to win. It was very tough, but also nice. The technically difficult sections suited me. I love it," enthused the Polish champion. Second-placed Alexandra Zürcher was also satisfied. She said: "Better than I expected. The controlled risk in the downhill sections paid off - even though I crashed on the last descent."

Züricher, who already won the overall Classics classification last year, takes the leader's jersey from Stefanie Zahno, who finished fourth. Marinette Martin came third: "The result is only partly a surprise for me. I knew that I was better than last year. But whether it would be enough for a podium place was uncertain. I was able to suffer very well and pushed myself to the limit."

A strong performance was also delivered by middle distance leader Julien Vuilliomenet, who competed in the long distance this time and even won his category in sixth place. Thanks to his large points lead, he remains the leader in the middle distance. Not so in the women's race, where this time Luana Gyr was able to celebrate as the new leader. Second place was enough for her.

4th race of the Bike Marathon Classics at the Eiger Bike Challenge on Saturday, August 12, 2023 in Grindelwald, which is also the Swiss Marathon Championships.

Results / Classics classification

Men (80 km): 1. Martin Fanger (Geneva) 4:01:48. 2. Hansueli Stauffer (Sigriswil) 0:05. 3. Fadri Barandun (Samedan) 9:49. 4. Adrien Chenaux (Fribourg) 13:29. 5. Jeremias Marti (Willisau) 14:59. 6. Pascal Nay (Zizers) 22:32. 7. Sandro Trevisani (La Tour-de-Trême) 27:32. 8. Tobias Lüthi (Walliswil bei Wangen) 29:25. 9. Damian Perrin (Bern) 32:08. 10. Antoine Meyer (Vouvry) 54:13.

Women (80 km): 1. Paula Gorycka (Pol) 5:00:25. 2. Alexandra Zürcher (Latterbach) 08.13. 3. 3. Marinette Martin (Château d`Oex) 19:52. 4. Stefanie Zahno (Bürchlen) 21:03. 5. Barbara Liardet (St-Oyens).

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