For 25 years, the men from Zurich, who are no longer young, have been organizing events for mountain bikers that hardly anyone else puts on. From downhill races to the Américaine in the forest, from bike marathons to duals on an ice rink. When it came to expanding the range of bike formats, the imagination was always running wild. Light years before Strava and internet access in every corner, a slip of paper had to be stamped at ticket machines to prove that you had passed a corner. Or you had to answer a question that could only be answered on the spot. It could also happen that you were only allowed to start after you had rolled a certain number - while the stopwatch was already running, of course. At one point, the Le Mans start was set up in such a way that the fast riders, who were already on their bikes, had to set off in the direction from which the slower riders were coming. The start numbers were traditionally paper plates labeled by the organizers, and timing problems and/or difficulties in assigning times to the participants are also legendary.

To this day, the races and rides are organized in such a way that all the necessary equipment can be transported to the venue in a bike trailer. A few years ago, the Pizzacuppers created the Uetliberg Brevet, which was awarded to anyone who completed the trails marked on a paper map (!). In any order, the finishing time didn't matter, the fastest were sitting in the garden pub that was the finish line after four hours. Others took the whole day. One had to attend a children's birthday party in between, another went to visit an apartment between two trails. Despite the relaxed pace, the Brevet was a tough tour of over 40 kilometers and around 2000 meters of altitude (with an optimal route choice).

Anniversary race and party

On Saturday, July 3, the Pizzacup, its organizers and participants will celebrate its 25th anniversary. A mixture of trails and tasks will have to be ridden and passed, the announcement promises. This is Pizzacup code for lush trails and outlandish activities. Extra points are awarded for those who ride in a suit, according to the website. If you want to take part, you have to find the meeting point in Zurich, which won't be a problem for anyone who knows how to read maps. Further instructions will be handed out there at 1 p.m. and the anniversary barbecue will start at 6 p.m. We asked co-organizer Alec Wohlgroth whether they were worried that too many people might come. He said: "We've been hoping for this for 25 years without success."

And if you're still wondering why the whole thing is called the Pizzacup, there is a conclusive explanation that can be found out at the Jubel event.

Pizzacup.ch