Elsa Bike Trophy record winner Christoph Sauser has to miss out due to injury and Urs Huber is riding a stage race in Austria. This could be the moment for riders like Hansueli Stauffer and Konny Looser. Stauffer already rode to victory in this race two years ago at the Swiss Marathon Championships. The same fate befell Konny Looser last year, who had to give way to Sauser and the cross-country specialist Reto Indergand, who had signed up at short notice. Both Looser and Stauffer are in good form.

Together with teammate Lukas Buchli, who has already won the marathon series twice, Stauffer rode to second place at the "Granit Marathon" in Austria at the end of May. Other team colleagues such as Konny Looser, Philipp Gerber and Oliver Zurbrügg are also in top form. Reliable team tactics can be decisive on the Elsa Bike Trophy route with its numerous flat sections. Because that's when slipstreaming comes into play. "I will try to make the most of my chances," Stauffer and Looser promise. They are aware that their competitors will be training intensively in Evolène a week before the Swiss Championships. Mental attitude will therefore play a decisive role. Jérémy Huguenin, who finished fourth in Estavayer-le-Lac last year as the best Frenchman, is still uncertain.

The man from Neuchâtel seriously injured his right knee in a skiing accident in the winter, which resulted in extensive surgery. A doctor's test on Friday will show whether he is allowed to compete. "I haven't ridden a bike race since my accident. But training has gone well. I feel in shape and would be happy to be able to ride again," says Huguenin. However, he hopes that it will be dry.

In the women's race, a three-way battle is emerging between last year's winner Milena Landtwing, Ariane Kleinhans and Nadia Walker.

The second race of the 2015 Swiss Bike Marathon Series, the Frigaz BerGiBike, will take place two weeks later on June 28, 2015 in Bulle (FR).

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