At the Ilanz-Vals cycling classic, the participants start in a duel with the Postbus. According to the timetable, the post bus needs exactly 38 minutes for the connection from Ilanz train station to the post office in the village of Vals, famous for its thermal springs - the fastest cyclists should be just as fast, but neither are those on the 20,5-kilometer route with its 550 meters in altitude have to drive to stops. The Ilanz-Vals cycle race in the Swiss canton of Graubünden looks as Gran Prix Vals can look back on a long tradition, although the last event was seven years ago. After 30 events, the organizers had taken a break.
With the new start, those responsible are relying on a tried-and-tested concept in a new guise. The route runs from Ilanz on the banks of the Young Rhine through the valley of light up to Vals. "First of all, we change as little as possible", says Marcus Derungs, who organizes the race with his team. There will only be a small change in the route at the finish. In the future, this will no longer be at the entrance to the town in the area of the Vals mineral spring, but in the middle of the village. If everything works out, the fastest women will get there almost at the same time as the men. The women have a lead of a little over six minutes at the start in Ilanz, which corresponds to the average difference in the winning times of men and women from previous events.
With May 4th, those responsible deliberately chose a date in the off-season. If you ride a bike with a bit of ambition, you already have a few kilometers in your legs at this early date and may even have been to the training camp. At just over 20 kilometers and 550 meters in altitude, our race is also not very long and not extremely difficult either, so it is perfect as an introductory race to the season or as a test. And the distance is also perfect for hobby riders”, according to Derungs.
The starting point, Ilanz, is the first town on the Rhine and can be easily reached from Germany in just over an hour and a half. The registrations for Ilanz-Vals are already underway and the feedback so far has been good, according to those responsible. The organizers hope that there will be at least 150 participants at the new start. The Ilanz-Vals race is open to participants with and without a license.
Incidentally, on the Ilanz-Vals weekend there is already an opportunity in the region to test your time trial form. One day before the hill climb, which is a mass start, an 8,5-kilometer individual time trial will take place between Cazis and Rhäzüns. The organizers of Ilanz-Vals offer hotel recommendations for participants who want to start in both races or who want to arrive earlier.
Information and registration: www.ilanz-vals.ch