Today, the Snow Bike Festival has announced that it will stay in the Swiss ski resort of Gstaad.
Switzerland is already one of the leading destinations for mountain biking. With events like the Swiss Epic, Grand Raid, National Park Bike Marathon, the Lenzerheide World Cup, and now the Engadin Bike Giro showcasing the best of Swiss trails and the exceptional organisation and hospitality of the Swiss.
But the Snow Bike Festival pulls the focus away from the long daylight hours of summer, to the snowy slopes of a winter wonderland. The festival asks mountain bikers to shun reaching for the skis, but to instead bring a fat tyred bike to take part in the festival.
The 2017 Snow Bike Festival will take place in Gstaad from January 19-22 2017. The event will feature a 4-day Stage Race, an Eliminator Night Race, an EXPO and many other activities for both mountain biking enthusiasts and the general public.
Snow Bike Festival directors, Herman Coertze and Evert van Muyden noted “we’re very happy with the response from riders and the media after the event in January 2016 (over 430 hours of worldwide TV coverage). The long term partnership with Gstaad opens a new chapter for the Snow Bike Festival and we are very excited to be part of the event”.
The growth of the Snow Bike Festival
Martin Bachofner, Director of Gstaad Saanenland Tourism, is proud that “we have been able to establish a further international and professionally organised Top Event which has huge potential for growth, here in Gstaad.” The advantage of Snow Biking is that the sport is still developing and both pros and amateurs are involved in the event. The Snow Bike Festival is a fantastic opportunity to attract these highly motivated riders and present to them our destination’s diverse offerings, during both the summer and winter seasons.
The Stage Race will be held under International Cycling Union (UCI) MTB rules and is open to all mountain biking enthusiasts, allowing riders to choose what kind of bike they want to compete with (Fat Bike, Mountain Bike or Plus Bike).
Want more event details? Head to the Snow Bike Festival website.
A rider descends during the 2016 Snow Bike Festival, Gstaad, Switzerland.