With stories, aches, pains, memories and repairs from the 2019 Swiss Epic still fresh and ongoing, the registration for the 2020 edition of the Swiss Epic are now open.
In 2020 the race will tackle a new route. The Swiss Epic has changed the route and trails it uses each year since the first edition in 2014, and now that the race is in Graubuenden, the options are near limitless.
Starting in Laax, the race will travel to Arosa, and then onto Davos. Final course details won’t be released until summer 2020, but you can be certain the climbs will be challenging and the singletrack will be mind blowing.
The 2019 route was the first year in Graubuenden, and it provided everything you would expect.
Catch our stage recaps from 2019:
Stage One | Stage Two | Stage Three | Stage Four | Stage Five
Entries for the Swiss Epic
While previous participants have had access to pre-release entries, and the first tier pricing is already sold, team entries at 1896CHF per rider are now available until the end of December. That’s about $AUD2850 – so what does that get you exactly?
Hotel accommodation
There are five nights included in your race package, and the hotels are good hotels. This is twin share, and includes breakfast and dinner at the hotel – it’s not your usual pasta party! This is one extra night of provided accommodation compared to 2019.
Staying in hotels means you have real showers, real beds, real towels, real toilets, and proper hotel services. The rider camp at many races is really good. But hotels are very comfortable – and at the Swiss Epic they were very close to the start and finish of the stages. Sometimes, barely a step away.
Lunch after the stage
After each stage there is a recovery meal and drink at the finish. Of course, Sponsor sport nutrition have recovery drinks, fruit, bread, cured meats, cheese and energy bars, drinks and water. But there is also a cooked meal that will possibly be a regional specialty. This is right at the finish and you can eat right away or come back after a shower and spend time in the deck chairs talking to other racers.
Excellent feed zones
These aren’t a given in every stage race, but with the help from Sponsor nutrition you have their range of products at the feed zones (and before and after the stage). This includes a range of their sports drinks, bars, gels, fruit, lollies, bread… and there is technical assistance to if you need it.
High quality trails
This is a big one, the Swiss Epic aren’t afraid of setting a challenging route so you get to ride amazing trails. Ask any race organiser about course setting and they will tell you it takes a lot of time, especially when traversing a large area and going via private property at times. The Swiss Epic take on this challenge every year, avoiding settling on ‘favourites’ and creating a new experience year on year.
Good racing – with your heroes
The first couple of Swiss Epic editions saw the race gain a UCI HCS status – that’s the same as the Cape Epic (and Tour de France). It was hard, technical, and rewarding. But sure, maybe a little hard. And while the new date did create a small clash with the XCO World Championships for some (although women’s winner Adelheid Morath raced both) it does attract some top racers from the current World Cup scene, and past heroes.
We lined up alongside Thomas Frischknecht most days, and back in 2015 we were shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Alban Lakata and Sally Bigham!
The Swiss Epic offers a premium mountain bike experience no matter how you race it. Whether you ride easy on the climbs to rip the descents, or are challenging for stage wins and a good overall ranking, you still experience the same excellent race service and trails.
Of course, you pay about $570 a day for the racing and accommodation. Depending what pricing tier you compare to this is a little more than something like The Pioneer – although you’re not camping, you’re staying in high quality hotels. It’s about $200 more per day than a race like Transalp, with entry and the premium hotel package. But, the total service at Swiss Epic tends to be higher, and the range of trails a little better as well.
If the Swiss Epic sounds like it is for you, make sure you don’t miss out on the current pricing, find your team mate and enter now.