The course around the vineyards in Balgach proved to be extremely difficult due to the rain, which fell mainly on Saturday, with steep climbs and fast and technical descents. On Sunday, the weather was kind to the organizers and so even the spectacular finish slope could be ridden in the final elite race.

The two Olympic riders Nino Schurter and Florian Vogel took the lead right from the start and dominated the race at will. Schurter attacked in the last few meters before the mountain prize and before the long descent and got away from Vogel by the decisive seconds. Nino Schurter from Chur celebrated another title ahead of his teammate Florian Vogel. Lukas Flückiger completed the podium in third place.In the women's race, Sarah Koba from Buchs landed a start-finish victory. She pulled away from the competition on her preferred terrain - the long climbs - and celebrated her first Swiss championship title. Olympic rider Esther Süss followed in second place and, just as surprising as Koba's dominance, third place went to Corina Gantenbein from Graubünden, who was even in second place in the early stages of the race.

In the U23 category, Matthias Stirnemann, Reto Indergand, Matthias Rupp and Emilien Barben pulled away, with Stirnemann finishing ten seconds ahead in the end. Jolanda Neff left no doubt, taking more than five minutes off second-placed junior world champion Linda Indergand. The junior men's and junior women's categories were dominated by Andri Frischknecht and Andrea Waldis, with their rivals only able to keep up to a certain extent at the start of the race.

Thomas Litscher and Jolanda Neff first Swiss Eliminator champions
Early Saturday evening after the BMC Racing Cup in the Fun and Kids category, the first Eliminator Swiss Championships were held. During the qualifying runs, the conditions were still ideal in front of a great and large crowd of spectators. During the subsequent qualifying runs, a thunderstorm came down and dampened the good mood a little. However, this quickly changed when local rider Jolanda Neff won the women's final race. And when local hero Thomas Litscher also won the men's race 10 minutes later, the enthusiasm of the numerous spectators was enormous. A double victory in the Rhine Valley at the start of the Swiss Championships, the championships could not have started any better for the organizers.

Ranking lists Swiss Cross Country Championships 2012

Men Elite:
1st SCHURTER Nino 1986 Chur Scott-Swisspower MTB Racing 1:22:06,80
2nd VOGEL Florian 1982 Rapperswil-Jona Scott-Swisspower MTB Racing +0:05.6
3. FLÜCKIGER Mathias 1988 Ochlenberg Trek World Racing Team +1:02,3
4th FLÜCKIGER Lukas 1984 Leimiswil Trek World Racing Team +1:04,1
5th GIGER Fabian 1987 Rieden SG Rabobank-Giant Offroad +1:45.7
6. FREIBURGHAUS Sepp 1987 Neuenegg Thömus Racing Team +2:06,0
7. LITSCHER Thomas 1989 Thal Felt Öztal X-Bionic +2:10,2
8. GALLATI Patrik 1988 Mollis BMC Mountainbike Racing Team +2:42,4
9. GUJAN Martin 1982 Mastrils Cannondale Factory Racing +2:51,7
10th ROHRBACH Nicola 1986 Alosen Goldwurst-Power/Trek +4:03.6

Ladies Elite:
1st KOBA Sarah 1984 Sargans SIMPLON 1:26:42,30
2nd SÜSS Esther 1974 Küttigen Wheeler-IXS Pro Team +1:45.8
3. GANTENBEIN Corina 1986 Zizers Fischer-BMC +2:36,3
4th LEUMANN Katrin 1982 Riehen Ghost Factory Racing Team +3:44,8
5. STIRNEMANN Kathrin 1989 Gränichen Sabine Spitz Haibike Team +4:10.7
6. SANER GUINCHARD Marielle 1977 Collombey Team Bikepark.ch CRAFT +5:52,5
7. SCHNEITTER Nathalie 1986 Lommiswil Team Colnago Südtirol +8:38,3
8. DARBELLAY Florence 1977 Neuchâtel Club Cycliste du Littoral +12:52,6
9. BRUN Franziska 1986 Emmenbrücke Bergamont Swiss Team +13:11,3
10th PEZZATTI Sofia 1977 biasca KTM-STIHL-3VALLI BIASCA +15:16,2

Juniors:
1st FRISCHKNECHT Andri 1994 Feldbach Scott-Swisspower MTB Racing 1:06:04,60
2. VETSCH Enea 1994 berneck BskGraf-ROLLMAT-KOBA MTB Team +0:48,1
3. BANNWART Romain 1994 hauterive Prof-Raiffeisen-CCL +1:35,8
4th FASNACHT Manuel 1995 Gretzenbach Fischer Junior MTB Team +2:33,3
5th GUERRINI Marcel 1994 Neuhaus Focus MIG Team +2:35.2
6. KOCH Raphael 1995 Leimbach Team GREENHOPE-biking against cancer +2:35,3
7. CORTI Romain 1994 Les Agettes Team dom cycle merida +3:05,6
8. KOLLER Joel 1994 Schmerikon Tower Sports-VC Eschenbach +3:14,0
9. VITZTHUM Simon 1995 Rheineck RV Altenrhein / Team bischibikes/kopierpapier.ch +3:17,4
10th BEELI Andrin 1995 Sagogn BskGraf-ROLLMAT-KOBA MTB Team +3:36.7

Junior women:
1st WALDIS Andrea 1994 Morschach VC Gersau / Colnago 54:32,90
2nd INAUEN Deborah 1994 Appenzell Pink Gili Swiss Racingteam +4:36.7
3. FORCHINI Ramona 1994 Wattwil MTB Kader Zentralschweiz +5:14,9
4th BARTH Mallory 1995 Eschert Alouettes.ch / VC Jurassia +5:50.9
5th EHEIM Chantal 1995 Riedholz Tropical Pro Team +7:21,7

U23 men:
1st STIRNEMANN Matthias 1991 Gränichen Thömus Racing Team 1:12:07,10
2. INDERGAND Reto 1991 Silenen BMC Mountainbike Racing Team +0:10,0
3. RUPP Matthias 1990 Gossau Team GREENHOPE-biking against cancer +0:47,5
4th BARBEN Emilien 1991 Chez-le-Bart Zeta cycling club +1:31,0
5. WILDHABER Michael 1990 Wagen Tower Sports-VC Eschenbach +3:03,9
6. STÜNZI Michael 1992 Trasadingen Orbea Suisse Team +3:19,4
7. KRIEG Kevin 1992 Uhwiesen Stöckli Pro Team +3:36,3
8. WIDMER Mirco 1990 Walde Giant Swiss SR-Suntour +3:49,1
9. ALLEMANN Bryan 1993 Crémines CCMoutier / L'AlexMoos +4:20,4
10. FORSTER Lars 1993 jona Tower Sports-VC Eschenbach +4:35.6

U23 women:
1st NEFF Jolanda 1993 Thal WHEELER iXS Pro Team 1:09:00,10
2nd INDERGAND Linda 1993 Silenen MTB Kader Zentralschweiz +5:15.2
3. MEYER Vivienne 1990 Rumlikon Team Colnago South Tyrol +5:59.2
4th HEDIGER Michelle 1991 Oberkulm Fischer-BMC +7:11.2
5th TRUONG Lorraine 1990 Môtiers BH SR-SUNTOUR Peisey-Vallandry +11:58.5

Masters:
1st ZÜND Andreas 1981 Oberriet Pink Gili Swiss Racingteam 1:07:56,50
2nd BISCHOF Christof 1978 Widnau Team bischibikes / kopierpaier.ch +0:36.8
3. DERUNGS Marcus 1981 Rüti Imholz bike racing +1:24,3
4th NUESCH Samuel 1980 balgach bsk Graf Rollmat / RSSR +1:50,5
5. ABÄCHERLI Roland 1977 Edlibach Giant Swiss SR-Suntour +1:54.0
6. HOLLENSTEIN Tobias 1982 Rorschach team bischibikes / kopierpapier.ch +2:32,4
7. THÜR Remo 1967 Berneck bsk graf Rollmat MTB Team +3:58.7
8. MURI Adrian 1982 schenkon vc sursee-creabeton +4:06.1
9. MEYER Florian 1981 Wichtrach FreeMoutain Scott +4:42,1
10th REICHEN Samuel 1982 Gränichen Orbea Suisse Team +7:36.1

U17 boys:
1st AEBERLI Roger 1996 Aeugstertal Velo-Reichtmuth / RRC Amt 51:33,20
2nd THOMA Dario 1997 Walenstadt SusoBike / RSV Pizol +0:44,0
3. GEMPERLE Robin 1996 Buchs Specialized Racing +0:48,5
4th GRAB Joël 1997 Ebmatingen Team GRAB Credo / VC Maur +0:52.1
5. TREVISANI Sandro 1996 COLOMBIER Zetacyclingclub +1:30,1
6. LAUENER Ramon 1997 Sulgen fehr-velos.ch +1:49,6
7. INAUEN Benjamin 1996 Appenzell Steinegg Danis Biketeam/RMC Appenzell +2:00,0
8. L'HOMME Léo 1996 Vuadens Merida Rockies Team +2:11,8
9. HERMANN Mike 1996 Bad Ragaz Thömus Factory Team / RSV Pizol +3:14,3
10. SOUTH Casey 1997 Matzingen Sherpa Tensing Pedalerie Race Team +3:34,6

Hard girls:
1st KELLER Alessandra 1996 Stans MTB Kader Zentralschweiz, RMC Kerns-Kägiswil 56:11,50
2nd SEITZ Aline 1997 Buchs AG Specialized Racing +0:25,9
3. FREI Sina 1997 Uetikon am See VC Maur +0:33,1
4. DAUBERMANN Antonia 1997 Gessertshausen RV Wanderer Augsburg / Junior Pro Team +0:33,3
5th KOLLER Nicole 1997 Schmerikon VC Eschenbach - Hakle +2:03,1

Source: Press release, www.bmcracingcup.ch