What it's like to race the Swiss Epic - United Kingdom News Beep

Luke Beuchat

Luke Beuchat is an Escape Collective member and the creator/developer behind the Escape Collective Fantasy Competition and app. He’s also a gun mountain biker. We asked him to share his experience from the recent Swiss Epic MTB race.

“Riders, your race will start in 15 seconds. You are now in the hands of the starter. Your race will start with a gun shot.”

The last time I heard these words was 10 years ago, on the flanks of Table Mountain in Cape Town. It was the prologue of the 2015 ABSA Cape Epic MTB Race. For the benefit of those who may have somehow not heard of this race, the Cape Epic is the biggest marathon mountain bike race in the world. It’s an eight-day, eight-stage circumnavigation of South Africa’s Western Cape region, crisscrossing rugged African bush and stunning landscapes. The unique feature of the race is that it’s open to both professional and amateur riders and all riders compete in teams of two.

But now, I stood over my bike in Davos, Switzerland, on the start line of the SPAR Swiss Epic. It is the second largest race in the Epic Series which comprises a total of four MTB races across two continents. The Swiss Epic was founded by Swiss mountain bike legend Thomas Frischknecht in 2014. Frischknecht had raced the Cape Epic numerous times and believed Switzerland had the terrain to create an “Epic” style race. History showed his belief to be correct when the Swiss Epic was folded into the global Epic Series in 2017.

Being in Davos, much was the same as in 2015 – same partner, Todd Sinclair from New Zealand; same slick and professional Epic Series delivery of the start line; same dynamic commentator’s voice – motivational with a tinge of South African twang; same Epic DJ pumping out catchy tunes; same level of hype and vibe; same huge contingent of pro riders from around the globe.

But much was also different. Very different. First and foremost, both Todd and I were 10 years older. When we raced the Cape Epic we were just entering middle age, in our early 40s. Now we were well and truly middle-aged! Our bodies would certainly not be bouncing back following each stage of serious race effort. Our bikes were very different – first and foremost we had dropper posts, probably the single greatest leap forward in mountain biking performance in recent times. I did the Cape Epic on a hard tail – don’t ask – but now I was on a modern geo dualie, that weighed nearly the same as my hard tail!

10 years of marathon mountain bike evolution

One other critical point of difference – our goals. Ten years ago, it was all about the race, less about the experience. The laser focus at the Cape Epic 2015 was full-gas racing! The years had certainly mellowed our adrenalin, our desire to push deep into the hurt locker. Further, the cycling lifestyle has changed dramatically. The explosion in cycling tourism has been huge – groups of mates going on cycling-related trips to the iconic climbs of Europe and to the less-ridden roads of Southeast Asia. The growth of gravel has only accelerated cycling tourism.

For Todd and I the Swiss Epic looked, on paper, like we could combine both an exceptional riding experience with the small piece of the racing bug that no amount of years can remove. For me, there will be always something quite special about pinning on a race plate, standing on the chalked white line, then testing your mental and physical toughness against the elements and the like-minded riders beside you. Could the Swiss Epic provide both these experiences to us?

As the 15 seconds counted down it was clear to me, that despite the very similar Epic Series black and gold signage that adorned the start line, this was not South Africa. This was clearly the Swiss Alps – our start town of Davos lay in a deep valley surrounded by towering granite peaks, with pitches that screamed “Ouch”! The streets that lead out of town were not asphalt but the iconic square cobblestones of Europe. The houses that lined the streets where straight off a postcard. The stark, vastness of South Africa could not be more different to the fairytale beauty of the Swiss Alps.

Bernina Glacier, 2,477m, above the town of Pontresina Bernina Glacier, 2,477 metres above the town of Pontresina.

But we would soon discover the veil of tranquil mountain beauty belied what you should really expect from an Epic Series race – a pure mountain biking experience featuring brutal climbs matched with raw single track. And it would leave me with no doubt that the Swiss Epic, like the Cape Epic, was a true mental, physical and mountain biking test. In contemporary terms, this ain’t no gravel race!

Stage 1: A wake-up call (78 km, 2,400 m)

The calm mountain air was shattered as the gun fired. We were off for stage 1. The Swiss Epic was real now – Todd and I were back racing at an Epic Series race.

As would become the trend for every stage, the first 1 km was neutralized as the bunch exited the mountain village. This was such a relief and such a contrast to what we had experienced at the Cape Epic where the first 15 minutes were full-gas 500-watt affairs, riding handlebar to handlebar on flat roads. The level of danger and anxiety are very high in such scenarios. In contrast, at the Swiss Epic, the 1 km neutralized zone meant the bunch would remain calm. And, invariably, the trail simply went up the mountain after the neutralized zone. This meant there was no risk of missing a split in the bunch.

Stage 1 was a wake-up call for Todd and I relative to what we had expected from the Swiss Epic routes. Of course, we expected long climbs with loose and steep pitches. We did not expect raw and technical single track. But stage 1 served up everything that any self-respecting singletrack connoisseur would have the great pleasure in riding and mastering!

The technical, rocky descent down from the Albula Pass.

We rode up steep fire trails, we flowed through smooth berms, we suffered on tarmac climbs, we careered down raw and untamed singletrack, we rolled through quaint mountain villages, we went through tunnels, we rode over debris from rock screes … the list goes on. We even passed with in meters of the stereotypical Swiss cows with giant bells.

Stage 1 featured ancient tunnels on a fast gravel road.

We rolled into the village of La Punt in the Engadin Valley about four hours after we had left Davos. It was a big day and we were close to broken but relatively happy with our efforts – fifth in our category of Grand Masters and 88th overall. As we all know, after a day of hard riding or racing everyone’s fuse is a little shorter. But this is where the Swiss Epic “happy rider” system kicks in. It went like this:

Step 1: Drop bike to bike wash, not to be seen again until tomorrow.
Step 2: Inhale a protein- and carb-dense lunch of chicken and rice. With dessert!
Step 3: Free recovery chocolate milk drinks from the SPAR popup.
Step 3a: Optional free beer.

Free beer for the riders!

Step 4: Straight on to a shuttle bus for the 15-minute ride to our hotel.
Step 5: Check in to the beautiful Saratz Hotel complete with indoor pool, spa, sauna and steam room.
Step 6: Spend the rest of a beautiful mountain afternoon recovering, eating, and sharing stories about stage 1.

It all went like clockwork. After all, as it should have been obvious to me, this is Switzerland!

Result Comparisons – Stage 1

TeamRidersOverallTime

The Pros

Fabian Rabensteiner / Casey South

1st