Urs Huber doesn't hesitate for long with his rivals at the O-Tour Bike Marathon. He and Garmin Bike Marathon Classics leader Hansueli Stauffer stepped up the pace on the ascent to Lütholdsmatt and rode away. But only Huber is able to keep up. At Richmettlen, the highest point of the marathon at 1600 meters above sea level, he already has a good minute's lead over his first pursuers Frans Claes and Hansueli Stauffer. Claes is able to maintain his pace. By the foot of the last climb, the Ächerli Pass, his gap had dropped to 45 seconds. But then Huber turns up the pace again. On the Ächerli he is two minutes ahead of Claes. The Swiss marathon champion has obviously invested in a safe descent, as his lead over Claes at the finish is 92 seconds. Huber not only secures his fifth marathon victory in seven weeks. He also takes the Garmin Bike Marathon Classics leader's jersey from Hansueli Stauffer, who is plagued by bad luck. Stauffer sounds like two: "I would have liked to have set off in pursuit of Urs together with Frans. But then I had my first flat tire. Then I crashed in the run section and I had another puncture in the final descent," was his sobering summary. Rapillard is very satisfied: "I like the O-TOur with its long climbs, because I only weigh 58 kilograms. Last year I finished fifth, this time it was enough for third place with a regular ride. That's pleasing, even if a bit of luck was involved. If Hansueli hadn't had the flat tire, the result might have been different."

In the women's race, Cornelia Hug celebrated her second victory in this year's Garmin Bike Marathon Classics. "It went really well," said the Amsoldingen native. "I didn't want to start too fast. Then the good teamwork with Florence Darbellay came about. We had a good rhythm, which I was able to keep up until the finish." Nadia Walker came second, commenting on her race as follows: "I couldn't go any faster at the start. I was hoping that one of the two leaders would take over. Florence then actually dropped back and I was able to hold on to second place." Darbellay dropped back even further and had to concede third place to Andrea Ming.

E-mountain bikers on the half marathon distance

Although the elite on their carbon bikes race up and down the mountain over the half marathon distance in both the women's and men's races, the fastest time over the 45-kilometer course is set by an e-mountain biker. The winner of the e-mountain bike category, Petr Kohout from the Czech Republic, is just under five minutes faster than the day's fastest non-motorized time over the same distance. This is the first time that e-mountainbikes have been allowed to take part in the o-tour. Fat bikes will also have their own category for the first time at the 14th edition of the O-Tour bike marathon. Although the number of participants is limited with eleven e-mountainbikes and two fatbikes in these two timed categories, the OC of the O-Tour Bike Marathon does not underestimate the fun factor and, above all, the growth potential of these two categories and will offer them as categories again next year. According to OC President Karl Langensand, numerous e-mountainbikes and fatbikes also took part in the Easy Marathon/ Team4Fun competition, which was not timed.

Colorful variety at the EasyMarathon/ Team4Fun competition and the Zinsli KidsRace as a crowd puller

The popular Easy Marathon and especially the Team4Fun competition will once again attract many bikers to Alpnach this year. As in previous years, the Zinsli KidsRace organized by Obwaldner Kantonalbank is also completely sold out. The little ones show off their riding skills on the varied course - to the amazement of some spectators and, of course, to the pride of the numerous parents and relatives. The bouncy castle of the main sponsor Zurich as well as the numerous, well thought-out and creative stands of the other sponsors and exhibitors, above all the Melchsee-Frutt sports lifts, ensure a busy event village. Together with the numerous spectators, around 2,000 bike enthusiasts transform the Village and the festival restaurant in Alpnach into a veritable bike festival.

Results O-Tour 2016

Men 86km
1st Urs Huber
2nd Frans Claes (BEL)
3rd Arnaud Rapillard
4th Andreas Moser
5th Hansueli Stauffer

Women 86km
1st Cornelia Hug
2nd Nadia Walker
3rd Andrea Ming
4th Florence Darbellay
5th Janine Schneider (GER)

Men 45km
1st Jeremias Marti
2nd Jonas Stoll
3rd Remo Fischer
4th Lorenz Inauen
5th Remo Peyer

Women 45km
1st Ramona Forchini
2nd Michèle Wittlin
3rd Alessia Nay
4th Linda Murther
5th Margrit Abächerli

E-bike 45km
1st Petr Kohout (CZE)
2nd Petr Krepsky (CZE)
3rd Beat Pfister
4th Aldo Voser
5th Jaroslav Holan (CZE)

Fatbike
1st Martin Gügler
2nd Sepp von Arx

Complete ranking list

www.garmin-bikeclassics.ch