Radquer, the legendary hybrid form that skillfully combines the world of classic cycling with that of mountain biking and reached its peak in the 80s and 90s, has been back on the radar of cyclists for a few years now and is enjoying ever-increasing popularity. Next Saturday, athletes from all corners of cycling will come together for what is probably the most special cyclo-cross competition of all - the Red Bull Velodux.

All participants, whether cycling legends or amateurs, will have to overcome the numerous obstacles on a cyclocross bike, much to the delight of the spectators and race director Yves Corminboeuf: "I have been fascinated by this discipline since childhood. That's why I'm particularly proud to be there when all these participants push themselves to the limit with a smile on their faces. And on a special kind of course."

A unique format

Certain elements of the Red Bull Velodux are set in stone: It starts with the so-called Le Mans start where the participants have to sprint to their bikes. On the track, the teams have up to an hour to ride as many laps as possible. To do this, the riders take turns in their teams of two. Each team member must ride at least one lap. And this is where the participants have to put their tactical skills to the test, another challenge that turns the already exciting race into a nail-biter right up to the last minute. And last but not least, there are the obstacles: Some well-known, such as the 104-step stair descent, the water ditch and the steep bends. The other obstacles remain a secret.

A new category

A new category has been introduced for this third edition. This year, participants will have the opportunity to ride in mixed doubles. The organizers decided to take this step for the following reasons, as Yves Corminboeuf explains: "This category was already requested by many in the first two editions. We also want to motivate as many women as possible to take part."

Famous names

After the high-caliber starting fields in the past two events, this year's starting list once again includes some well-known names. The list is headed by defending champion Nicola Rohrbach, who will be riding with a new partner on Saturday. This is none other than Olympic athlete Lars Forster. However, it won't be easy for the two of them, as the Flückiger brothers, two of the world's best cross-country riders and also the most experienced cross-country riders, will want to give them a run for their money. The Danish-Swiss duo of Simon Andreassen and Marcel Guerrini are also highly rated.

Perhaps these participants have nothing to do with the outcome of the race, but their names are all the bigger in the cycling world. For example, Fabian Cancellara is also taking part. The two-time Olympic time trial champion gained some cross-country experience in his years as a young athlete and is now trying to reactivate this in Estavayer. His partner is the fixed-gear rider Patrik Seabase, but he is foregoing the fixed-gear race for the Velodux. The following names are no less well-known: Pascal Richard, the 1996 Olympic road champion will ride together with Claude Bryde. Laurent Dufaux is another former Swiss racing bike star at the start - he is riding with his son Lois.

In the women's race, the u23 world champion Sina Frei is also defending her title, and she is also changing partners. She will start the race with Nicole Koller. The two will face strong competition from their cross-country colleagues Alessandra Keller and Kathrin Stirnemann. But the enduro category is also represented again. The twins Anita and Carolin showed at the last edition that they are also fast on narrow tires.

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