On the first climb up to the peloton, a quartet of Bulls team riders Urs Huber, Hansueli Stauffer, Simon Schneller and Swiss champion Martin Fanger were able to pull away from the rest and steadily extend their lead. It was foreseeable that the decision would be made on the final climb to Kleine Scheidegg. And so it was. Around three kilometers before the culmination point, Huber stepped up the pace. First much faster, then Fanger. Stauffer held the rear wheel of the runner-up Swiss champion for a little longer. But at some point, the Sigiriswil rider was done for. He had to let Huber go.

The latter rode out enough of a lead to avoid having to take full risk on the final descent back to Grindelwald, which often leads to tire defects in bike races. The calculation worked out. "I kept the pace high right from the start to make the race tough and bring about a preliminary decision. As expected, the Kleine Scheidegg then brought the decision. I didn't attack too early because the climb is very long. On the descent, I was then able to pace myself and am now happy that everything worked out perfectly," explained Huber at the finish. He praised the course: "The new route has made the circuit much more attractive. It was really fun to ride today."

What Huber didn't say: With sunshine and hot summer temperatures, the marathon bikers found ideal outdoor conditions. Second-placed Hansueli Stauffer didn't know at first whether to be angry or happy. He said: "After two third places and one second place, it was about time for a win. But at the moment I can't think of where I could have distanced Urs Huber. He rode strongly."

Martin Fanger also had nothing but praise for the winner's performance: "When Urs Huber attacked, I couldn't push any further. He rode confidently. I wanted to follow Hansueli Stauffer afterwards. But I made some riding mistakes. And when I then had to wait for a moment at a track crossing on the final descent, the train had left the station for me, even in a figurative sense. Nevertheless, I'm delighted with third place. The result gives me confidence for the Grand Raid next Saturday."

As expected, there was a duel between Esther Süss and Janine Schneider in the women's race. On the climb to the peloton, the two tried to make life difficult for each other by stepping up the pace. But on the other side of the valley on the climb to Kleine Scheidegg, their greater experience ultimately won out. Süss was able to pull away and was delighted with her victory, as if it had been her first. She said: "I'm working more again at the moment and doing additional training. That's why this victory came as such a surprise to me and why I'm so incredibly happy that it worked out again." The day before the race, she rode straight to Grindelwald from her work as a needlework teacher. The race and especially the fantastic downhill runs went really well. At the end, however, there was a new additional loop to ride. "I almost died there, it was so hard," Süss gushed.

Second-placed Janine Schneider was a little more taciturn: "Esther Süss beat me with her experience. But I also had more trouble downhill than she did. I really need to work on my riding technique," said the German self-critically.

The conclusion of OC President Marcel Homberger was positive across the board: "Great weather, lots of cheerful helpers on the piste, the course dried out perfectly. A super bike weekend." He was particularly pleased with the positive feedback from the riders about the new course. This is something to build on.

Resultshttp://bikeclassics.ch

Men (80 km): 1. Urs Huber (Mettmenstetten) 4:30:42. 2. Hansueli Stauffer (Sigriswil) 1:09. 3. Martin Fanger (Geneva) 2:23. 4. Simon Schneller (De) 5:06. 5. Andreas Moser (Madiswil) 21:34. 6. Damian Perrin (Bern) 34:51. 7. Michael Wohlgemuth (It) 37:51. 8. Stefan Spielmann (Lostorf) 37:58. 9. Pascal Nay (Zizers) 40:53. 10. Andreas Plüss (Aarau) 43:10.
Women (80 km): 1. Esther Süss (Küttigen) 5:48:25. 2. Janine Schneider (De) 5:49. 3. Alessia Nay (Zizers) 34:14.
Men (50 km): 1. Simon Brändli (Winterthur) 2:39:38. 2. Jeremias Marti (Willisau) 1:03. 3. Micha Klötzli (Tramelan) 3:01. 4. Fabian Heinzen (Schwyz) 3:28. 5. Adrian Jäggi (Lohn-Ammansegg) 6:58.
Women (50 km): 1. Alexandra Zürcher (Oey) 3:14:03. 2. Carmen Zaugg (Oensingen) 7:33. 3. Antonia Bünter (Bern) 9:14.