PERSKINDOL SWISS EPIC 2018 - Best of Stage 4
PERSKINDOL SWISS EPIC 2018 - Best of Stage 4
With rains falling overnight, riders welcomed the cooler temperatures on Stage 4, especially with the long climb between Täsch and Sunegga to come. 61 beautiful kilometres transitioned the race towards its final destination – the mighty Matterhorn – navigating the coveted trails of Europaweg and Sunegga-Flowtrail. Into the penultimate stage of the 2018 Perskindol Swiss Epic, there is still everything to play for in the overall GC in both the Men’s and Women’s categories, with spots on the podium at Europe’s premier mountain bike stage race up for grabs. Stage 3 saw the overall GC leaders consolidate their advantages, and also the rise of new teams that had a slower start to their 2018 campaign. At the start of Stage 4, Scott-SRAM lead the men’s GC by 12 minutes over BiXS, with Team USA lying in third. Breathing down the American’s necks, Buff Scott were still in it for a GC podium at little over a minute and a half.
The women’s three podium places on GC are all but decided with Team Canada, Team Thömus RN and Ghost Factory Racing in contention, all within 19 minutes. The final two days would decide the order. Day four of the race saw yet another winner in the men’s category, Scott-SRAM finally took the win they’d been fighting for, coming so close on stage 3. They edged out Team USA Red in a two-up sprint. In the women’s, it was Team Canada race, all the way, taking their second stage win. The men’s race took shape in the first third of the stage on the slopes approaching Täsch. On the main climb of the day, a lead group of four emerged: Scott-SRAM’s Stirnemann and Frischknecht, Team BiXS’s Hansueli Stauffer and Konny Looser, Team USA Red’s Christopher Blevins and Swenson and jb Brunex Felt’s Litscher and Foidl. BMC Fischer Price, Scott development MTB Team and Buff Scott found themselves on the back foot, chasing hard. Stauffer and Looser tried to make their move after the Sunegga-Flowtrail but were neutralised by the strong efforts of Scott-SRAM and Team USA Red. The white-hot pace eventually took its toll after the 50km mark at Unner Stafel – with 10km to go it was down to Scott-SRAM and Team USA Red. “We tried every day and yesterday was so close. I made an attack to open up a gap on the last downhill. Andri ‘played dead’ which forced the American guys to chase, then he attacked and l could go with.”
Results Stage 4
Men
1. Matthias Stirnemann / Andri Frischknecht (SUI - Scott-SRAM MTB Racing) - 3:29.13,6
2. Christopher Blevins / Keegan Swenson (USA - Team USA Red) +0,7
3. Hansueli Stauffer / Konny Looser (SUI - BiXS Pro Team) +3.00,0
Women
1. Haley Smith / Catharine Pendrel (CAN - Team Canada) - 4:21.19,9
2. Kathrin Stirnemann / Alessandra Keller (SUI - Thömus / RN Racing Team) +13.12,3
3. Barbara Benko / Anne Terpstra (HUN / NED - GHOST FACTORY RACING) +18.11,4
The women’s three podium places on GC are all but decided with Team Canada, Team Thömus RN and Ghost Factory Racing in contention, all within 19 minutes. The final two days would decide the order. Day four of the race saw yet another winner in the men’s category, Scott-SRAM finally took the win they’d been fighting for, coming so close on stage 3. They edged out Team USA Red in a two-up sprint. In the women’s, it was Team Canada race, all the way, taking their second stage win. The men’s race took shape in the first third of the stage on the slopes approaching Täsch. On the main climb of the day, a lead group of four emerged: Scott-SRAM’s Stirnemann and Frischknecht, Team BiXS’s Hansueli Stauffer and Konny Looser, Team USA Red’s Christopher Blevins and Swenson and jb Brunex Felt’s Litscher and Foidl. BMC Fischer Price, Scott development MTB Team and Buff Scott found themselves on the back foot, chasing hard. Stauffer and Looser tried to make their move after the Sunegga-Flowtrail but were neutralised by the strong efforts of Scott-SRAM and Team USA Red. The white-hot pace eventually took its toll after the 50km mark at Unner Stafel – with 10km to go it was down to Scott-SRAM and Team USA Red. “We tried every day and yesterday was so close. I made an attack to open up a gap on the last downhill. Andri ‘played dead’ which forced the American guys to chase, then he attacked and l could go with.”
Results Stage 4
Men
1. Matthias Stirnemann / Andri Frischknecht (SUI - Scott-SRAM MTB Racing) - 3:29.13,6
2. Christopher Blevins / Keegan Swenson (USA - Team USA Red) +0,7
3. Hansueli Stauffer / Konny Looser (SUI - BiXS Pro Team) +3.00,0
Women
1. Haley Smith / Catharine Pendrel (CAN - Team Canada) - 4:21.19,9
2. Kathrin Stirnemann / Alessandra Keller (SUI - Thömus / RN Racing Team) +13.12,3
3. Barbara Benko / Anne Terpstra (HUN / NED - GHOST FACTORY RACING) +18.11,4