"The field of top riders split up soon after the start. Fanger and Klötzli fought for victory at the front. I was still on the road with Emilien Barben for a while before I was able to break away and ride a lonely race to third place," recapped Hausueli Stauffer, who finished second behind Fanger last year. The fact that it was "only" enough for third place this time did not bother Stauffer. He was satisfied and said: "In terms of performance, that was a quantum leap compared to the Bike Marathon Classics opener at Raid Evolenard, where things didn't go well for me at all." A bad crash, in which another biker "knocked him off", and a long undiscovered tooth root infection hampered his preparation for the season. "I simply didn't reach my usual level of performance and was in the dark for a long time as to the cause of the tooth root inflammation. But now things are improving quickly. I'm enjoying the races again," said the Sigriswil native, who is now hoping for more top results at the competitions in August and September.

Winner Martin Fanger was also satisfied with his performance. However, Micha Klötzli was a tough opponent. "Micha rode a hardtail (that's a mountain bike without rear suspension) and put a lot of pressure on the climbs. I had to push my somewhat heavier full-suspension bike to its limits to keep up with his rear wheel. I was a little faster downhill, but Micha was able to close the gap quickly on the following climbs. So we fought until the end, where I was able to free up some more reserves," summarized Fanger.

Micha Klötzli didn't quite know whether he should be happy about his best result so far in the Bike Marathon Classics or annoyed about missing out on victory. He said: "I didn't know the last few meters before the finish as well as Martin. That was my downfall, I attacked too early. Martin counter-attacked and I was left behind, which of course makes me a bit angry when you're so close to victory." Klötzli is no stranger to the bike marathon scene. Since joining the professional ranks in 2023, the man from Jura has made a huge leap in performance this year. As an U23 rider, the now 25-year-old won both the Grand Raid and BerGiBike middle distance races. Like Bulls team colleague and marathon series winner Urs Huber, Klötzli trained as a farmer and grew up on a farm in the Bernese Jura.

Alessia Nay was delighted with her first long-distance triumph in the Bike Marathon Classics, which also earned her the leather jersey. She says: "Alexandra Zürcher was initially able to pull away slightly on the first climb. But by the culmination point I had caught up with her and was able to distance myself from her on the following descent. After that, I just rode at my own pace and was pleased with my steadily increasing lead." Since switching to long-distance racing in 2018, the Grisons native has often lacked that last little bit to be in contention for victory. That seems to have changed this year. Nay already showed her improving form with fourth place at the Classics opener at Raid Evolenard. "With this victory and taking the leader's jersey, I have fulfilled a long-cherished wish," revealed Nay. She is now looking forward to the third round of the Classics at the Eiger Bike Challenge on August 10 in Grindelwald, where she finished third in last year's Swiss Championships.

Results

Men (80 km)

1. Martin Fanger (Geneva) 4:01:15
2. Micha Klötzli (Tramelan) 0:03
3. Hansueli Stauffer (Sigriswil) 6:20
4. Emilien Barben (Sagogn) 23:27
5. Damian Perrin (Bern) 37:42
6. Silas Schmid (Bern) 44:59
7. Benjamin Inauen (Steinegg, AI) 1:08:23

Women (80 km)

1. Alessia Nay (Zizers) 5:09:58
2. Alexandra Zürcher (Latterbach) 20:54
3. StefanievZahno (Bürchen) 38:53
4. Marinette Martin (Château d`Oex) 51:20
5. Barbara Liardet (St-Oyens) 1:07:37.

The races of the Bike Marthon Classics 2024

1. Raid Evolénard, Sunday, June 9, 2024, Evolène Winner/Leader: Andreas Seewald (De)/Vera Looser (Nam)
2. Summer Bike, July 14, 2024, Château-d`Oex Winner/Leader: Martin Fanger/Alessia Nay
3. Eiger Bike Challenge, Saturday, August 10, 2024, Grindelwald&Oex
4. . August 2024, Grindelwald 
5. Grand Raid, Saturday, August 24, Verbier - Grimentz
6. BikeSide MTB Festival, Sunday, September 22, 2024, Einsiedeln

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