Cycling: At 3333, today's fourth stage had the most vertical meters of the entire race. The circuit ran over 74 kilometers from Grächen to Grächen. The Centurion Vaude team with Daniel Geismayr and Jochen Käss clinched the day's win today, taking over the overall lead. Annika Langvad and Ariane Kleinhans, Team Specialized II, stay ahead in the women's category.
The fourth stage of the six-day Perskindol Swiss Epic mountain bike race was a 74-kilometre circuit from Grächen back to Grächen. With 3333 meters in altitude, the biggest difference in altitude of the entire race had to be overcome today, but at the same time it was also the king's stage in the name of flow. First it went along a bisse, a typical Valais irrigation canal, then down to Stalden. After a long ascent, the longest single trail descent of the entire race followed: 12 kilometers of the finest flow, with numerous berms and exciting root passages. The route led through the bizarre landscape of an earlier forest fire - and then finally the first view of the world-famous Matterhorn was free. After another exhausting ascent, the drivers returned to Grächen.
The field of the Men category was reshuffled today. Daniel Geismayr and Jochen Käss from the Centurion Vaude team drove to the day's win in 3 hours and 50 minutes. They gained a good three and a half minutes on second-placed Lukas Buchli and Mathias Flückiger, Team Stöckli-BiXS, and thus just took the overall lead. An exciting duel awaits us in tomorrow's final stage. Third place again went to Lukas Flückiger and Ralph Näf, BMC Mountainbike Racing Team.
In the women's category, everything remains the same: Annika Langvad and Ariane Kleinhans from Team Specialized II won again today with 4h 54min and are now 52 minutes ahead of second-placed Esther Süss and Elferink Hielke, Team Wheeler iXS. Milena Landtwing and Bärti Bucher won the mixed category again today with 4h 56min, thus further expanding their overall lead.
Schurter/Vogel and Sauser/Kulhavy had to retire
Due to a fall by Florian Vogel, who injured his hand slightly, the favorite team Scott-Odlo with Nino Schurter and Florian Vogel had to give up today. The top team Specialized I with Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy also had to declare a forfait today: Christoph Sauser's knee pain due to a fall the day before yesterday was too great. He could hardly hide his disappointment: “It's a real shame to have to pull out of a stage race, especially for Jaroslav Kulhavy, with whom I rode in a team. He's now doing the last stage alone and out of competition, as training. It will be his first time in Zermatt - and I'm sure he'll like it a lot."
Today the final stage of the Perskindol Swiss Epic takes place with the fifth. This promises a lot of excitement, especially in the men's category, and leads over 60 kilometers and 2400 meters in altitude from Grächen to Zermatt.