Ride spoke to Evert van Muyden. Snow Epic OC member Van Muyden has lived in Engelberg with his family for over ten years and runs the company Sunnmatt Immobilien. He is a dedicated mountain biker and has also successfully competed in the Absa Cape Epic. He knows the trails and slopes and the municipality of Engelberg like the back of his hand.

Van Muyden has opened up contacts with representatives of the destination, hotel industry and mountain railroads on site in Engelberg for the Snow Epic. During the race, Van Muyden was active as head of course management and course safety.

Ride: What's the verdict after the first Snow Epic?
Evert van Muyden: We can draw a very positive conclusion - even if the conditions presented real challenges. At the beginning we had to contend with too little snow, then the snow came in huge quantities. We therefore had to add loops to the course on the first day or shorten the descent on the second day. However, the riders showed a lot of understanding for the route adjustments and the atmosphere in the paddock was always good.

What other feedback did you receive from the riders?
The top riders would have liked to have ridden longer stages, the winning times were around an hour. Many riders would have liked the riding time to be doubled to around two hours.

What kind of spectator experience did the race offer?
The Eliminator race on Friday evening in the village of Engelberg provided a great backdrop and was attractive for spectators. We are therefore planning to integrate the races more into the village in future in order to offer something for spectators away from the ski slopes as well.

The Bike Expo was only in the valley on Friday and was then moved to the mountain - where there were very few visitors. Have there been any changes?
The Expo was our shortcoming. We want to promote it earlier and we are reviewing the location so that more visitors can easily reach the exhibition. Unfortunately, the exhibition on the mountain was completely snowed in on Saturday.

The weather turned out to be a major challenge - what consequences have you drawn from this?
We now know that it is important to map out alternative routes in advance. We can then react more quickly if the weather and snow conditions change. Staking out alternative routes will definitely be on our to-do list for the next event.

What else have you learned about fat bike trails?
In summer, mountain biking and therefore fat biking is normal, but in winter it's different. Fat bikes are not recognized or accepted as sports equipment in the snow. Special routes or slopes are needed on which fat bikers can ride. The speeds or curve radii are completely different to the familiar winter sports. Destinations and mountain railroads are required to create special routes or, for example, evenings on floodlit slopes just for fat bikers.

How do you see the future of fat biking?
Fatbiking is developing rapidly, the manufacturers are pushing it enormously. We can see from the Snow Epic that these bikes can also be used as training equipment for top athletes. Athletes are able to stay on their bikes for longer during the year, where until recently snow meant the end of bike training. The fun factor should not be underestimated either - whether in summer or winter. Cooperation with the destinations is also important for the future of this sport. Engelberg and the mountain railroads have given us excellent support.

What are the plans for the second Snow Epic?
We are already planning the second event. In addition to Engelberg, other destinations have expressed an interest in the Snow Epic. We are currently examining the possibilities for two to three Snow Epic multi-day races per winter.

The second Snow Epic will take place in Engelberg from January 13 to 17, 2016, with registration opening on September 8, 2015.

www.snow-epic.com