Cycling: After yesterday's longest day's stage from Verbier to Leukerbad, the second, somewhat more moderate but no less exciting day's stage was on the program for the Perskindol Swiss Epic today: a 69-kilometer circuit from Leukerbad to Leukerbad with an altitude difference of 2750 metres. The team Centurion Vaude with Daniel Geismayr and Jochen Käss got the day's victory. In the women's category, Annika Langvad and Ariane Kleinhans from the Specialized II team once again prevailed.
The second stage of the six-day Perskindol Swiss Epic mountain bike race was a circuit covering 69 kilometers and 2750 meters in altitude from Leukerbad to Leukerbad. The route and its panorama were simply spectacular today. First an adventurous sliding passage on a path carved into the rock face on the Daubenhorn, then the Pfyn Forest in the Rhone Valley, one of the largest pine forests in the Alps, and finally the 134 meter long Bhutan suspension bridge. This was followed by the longest ascent of the entire race at 1500 meters, back to Leukerbad.
Like yesterday, the Swiss Epic Men category was extremely fast again today. With 3h 24min, the Centurion Vaude team with Daniel Geismayr and Jochen Käss won the day. Lukas Buchli and Mathias Flückiger from the Stöckli-BiXS team finished second, narrowly defending their overall lead. Nino Schurter and Florian Vogel, Team Scott-Odlo, finished third on the day.
In the Swiss Epic Women category, Annika Langvad and Ariane Kleinhans from Team Specialized II confidently defended their lead with 4h 18min, followed again by Esther Süss and Elferink Hielke, Team Wheeler iXS, and Team Mountain Heroes with Andrea Kuster and Kristin Aamodt. In the mixed category, Bärti Bucher and Milena Landtwing remained in the lead, as did Serge Robadey and Pierre Bourquenoud in the Masters. All previous leaders also retained their position in the Swiss Epic Flow race format.
[iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mR8cngFeVYM?feature=player_detailpage" width="620″ height="349″ iframe]Today's 3rd stage of Perskindol Swiss Epic leads from Leukerbad to Grächen, over 61 kilometers and 3000 meters in altitude. First target arrivals are expected around noon.