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Tactics, Time Gains, and Time Penalties on Stage 2 at the SPAR Swiss Epic

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Stage 2 of the 2025 SPAR Swiss Epic saw the Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM team lose their early advantage by taking a wrong turn on the trails. This allowed the Buff Megamo and the Torpado Kenda FSA women to catch the women in the orange CIOVITA jerseys, before Katazina Sosna Pinele and Giorgia Marchet slipped off the front in a move that was contested, with the race jury, by the other UCI Women’s teams. The UCI Men’s race was a less strategic and less dramatic affair as the best climbers thrived on the power of their legs and lungs alone. Klimatiza Orbea clawed back valuable time after their opening day misfortune, but the Torpado Kenda FSA men nonetheless extended their advantage over all but the day’s victors, Marc Stutzmann and Samuele Porro.

The trails above and in the St Moritz valley to the southwest of La Punt provided the terrain for a fiercely contested Stage 2 of the 2025 SPAR Swiss Epic on Thursday, 14 August. It was the first climb on the Muntatsch-Marguns ascent which allowed Marc Stutzmann and Samuele Porro to make their move. The Klimatiza Orbea team had lost nearly 7 minutes after cracking a rim on Stage 1, so while they gained on the majority of the field on Stage 2, Fabian Rabensteiner and Casey South were still able to control the day. The stage winners leapfrogged up the general classification, but Torpado Kenda FSA maintained their grip on the yellow CIOVITA jerseys. The UCI Women’s race was a more closely contested, tactical, and dramatic affair. It ended in victory for Torpado Kenda FSA, though that win comes at a significant general classification cost. Katazina Sosna Pinele and Giorgia Marchet benefitted from working alongside Buff Megamo for much of the day, before pouncing during a moment of indecision from Rosa van Doorn and Janina Wüst, and the women in orange, Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda. How they slipped off the front was contested by both Buff Megamo and Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM, leaving the UCI commissaires with a decision to make.

In an edition defined by high alpine racing, Stage 2 stands out as the day that crests the 2 500 metre mark on two occasions. The first came 14 kilometres into the stage on the Muntatsch-Marguns climb, while the second followed soon after on Lej Alv. Along with the arduous early climbs, the route offered rewards in the form of the Olympia and Foppettas Flow Trails, along with spectacular views over the playground of the rich and famous, St Moritz. The Fast Flats run back to La Punt, for the final 10 kilometres of the 61-kilometre stage, provided the opportunity for both the UCI Men’s and Women’s chasers to gain back time.

“I feel like all the girls were pushing the tempo on the early climbs, then it settled down a bit and we got into the first singletrack first,” Skarda explained how the early phases played out. “Vera [Looser] was pushing it, and we managed to get a good lead.”

“We had to let Vera [Looser] and Alexis [Skarda] go in the last part of the first climb,” Van Doorn confessed. “But we could see them ahead for much of the day and were eventually able to catch up.”

“The first part of the race was drama-free, and then the second was full of drama,” Looser laughed on the finish line. “We had a nice lead, then took a wrong turn, and the chase group caught us. Nobody wanted to work once we came together, and as the race leaders, we weren’t going to pull. So, it became very tactical. The Torpado Kenda FSA women jumped away, but we’re not happy with how that played out. We felt they got an unfair advantage by drafting a men’s team.”

After reviewing the onboard footage from the Bulls media e-bike, the race jury agreed with the Looser’s assessment and upheld the protest Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM and Buff Megamo had lodged. A 1-hour time penalty will thus be added to Sosna Pinele and Marchet’s general classification time, though they remain the day’s stage winners.

Behind Torpado Kenda FSA on the day, Buff Megamo and Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM sprinted for second. Van Doorn and Wüst took a confidence-boosting victory over the race leaders in that head-to-head battle for the minor places. The day’s drama means that Looser and Skarda now lead Buff Megamo by 4 minutes and 20 seconds on the general classification. Bulls Swiss, who finished fourth on Stage 2, moved up a place in the overall standings to third following Torpado Kenda FSA’s time penalty. Cannondale ISB Sport endured another difficult stage and ceded 37 minutes, signalling the end of their podium aspirations for this year’s race.

In the UCI Men’s race, the early kilometres were raced at a rapid pace in a large group, as had been the case on Stage 1. When the climbing began, at the 10-kilometre mark, the trails naturally separated the squads. Klimatiza Orbea quickly differentiated themselves as the best climbers. They had summited the Albula Pass with Torpado Kenda FSA the day before, but were able to distance the race leaders on the Muntatsch-Marguns trail. On the first climb of the day, they established a 1-minute lead, which they extended to 1 minute and 44 seconds over Lej Alv. Rabensteiner and South were able to stabilise the gap to the leaders on the trail and clawed back a handful of seconds over the second half of the stage.

“We’re really happy. Our plan was to push hard on the first climb. And it worked out; we went solo over the summit and were able to hold the lead throughout the rest of the stage. We’re super happy with the stage win,” Stutzmann smiled. “I have my Swiss guide, so I have only to follow and sometimes say ‘slow down a bit,’” Porro added. “Yesterday we had good legs, but bad luck, so hopefully we can keep the form going and fight for a general classification podium over the coming days.”

“I struggled a bit,” Rabensteiner allowed after crossing the La Punt finish line. “Casey helped me a lot today. We finished second on the stage and opened a bit more of a gap on the team in second on GC. So, that made it a good day.”

Behind the Klimatiza Orbea and Torpado Kenda FSA teams, the battle for third on the trails played out between the KTM Spada powered by Brenta Brakes, Metallurgica Veneta, and the Klimatiza Orbea 2 combinations. Further back, Scott Racing 1 and 2 spent much of the day chasing together, alongside the Cannondale ISB Sport pairing. Italian Marathon Champion, Andrea Siffredi, endured a dramatic crash, though it did not slow him or his teammate Stefano Goria unduly.

With four teams within 36 seconds of each other, the UCI Men’s general classification is poised for change ahead of the first time trial in the 12-year history of the SPAR Swiss Epic. “We were trying really hard to reduce the advantage of the leaders on the flatter final part of the stage today,” South said. “They’re both lighter climbers, so I did a lot of work on the front, and we were able to bring that gap back a bit.” South’s powerful ride on the flats is an ominous sign for the Torpado Kenda FSA team’s rivals ahead of Stage 3.

The marathon time trial should suit the Swiss Champion, but the team format and the descending heavy course mean that anything could happen. Starting at 2 305 metres above sea level on the Bernina Pass, the route loops around Lago Bianco before descending towards Pontresina via Morteratsch. Though the first 30 kilometres of the 55-kilometre stage trend downhill, there are climbs to conquer before the teams reach St Moritz, from where they will climb nearly 500 metres in 7 kilometres. A steep descent then leads into the same Fast Flats past the Engadin Airport, which the teams raced on Stage 2. This drag to the finish will test the pacing strategies of every team.

To watch the time trial live, tune into the broadcast on the Epic Series YouTube Channel here. Daily highlights from the SPAR Swiss Epic can also be viewed on the YouTube Channel, and the excitement from the trails of Graubünden will be shared on the SPAR Swiss Epic Facebook page and @swiss_epic on Instagram. To find out more, visit www.epic-series.com/swissepic.

2025 SPAR Swiss Epic Results:
UCI Men | Stage 2:
1. Klimatiza Orbea: Marc Stutzmann & Samuele Porro (2:39:03)
2. Torpado Kenda FSA: Fabian Rabensteiner & Casey South (2:40:25 | +1:22)
3. KTM Spada powered by Brenta Brakes: Nicolas & Lorenzo Samparisi (2:43:15 | +4:12)
4. Metallurgica Veneta: Nicola Taffarel & Diego Arias (2:43:17 | +4:14)
5. Klimatiza Orbea 2: Sebastian Gesche & Luis Perez Martinez (2:43:19 | +4:16)

UCI Women | Stage 2:
1. Torpado Kenda FSA: Katazina Sosna Pinele & Giorgia Marchet (3:19:46)
2. Buff Megamo: Rosa Van Doorn & Janina Wüst (3:21:12 | +1:26)
3. Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM: Vera Looser & Alexis Skarda (3:21:13 | +1:27)
4. Bulls Swiss: Alessia Nay & Kim Ames (3:26:48 | +7:02
5. KMC-Beach Bastards: Lola Bakker & Puck Pinxt (3:39:29 | +19:43)

UCI Men’s General Classification Standings after Stage 2:
1. Torpado Kenda FSA: Fabian Rabensteiner & Casey South (5:59:25)
2. KTM Spada powered by Brenta Brakes: Nicolas & Lorenzo Samparisi (6:04:26 | +5:01)
3. Metallurgica Veneta: Nicola Taffarel & Diego Arias (6:04:30 | +5:05)
4. Scott Racing: Andrea Siffredi & Stefano Goria (6:04:40 | +5:15)
5. Klimatiza Orbea: Marc Stutzmann & Samuele Porro (6:05:02 | +5:37)

UCI Women’s General Classification Standings after Stage 2:
1. Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM: Vera Looser & Alexis Skarda (7:26:05)
2. Buff Megamo: Rosa Van Doorn & Janina Wüst (7:30:25 | +4:20)
3. Bulls Swiss: Alessia Nay & Kim Ames (7:40:56 | +14:51)
4. KMC-Beach Bastards: Lola BAKKER & Puck PINXT (8:12:13 | +46:08)
5. Campione Denmark: Viktoria Smidth Knudsen & Ann-Dorthe Lisbygd (8:18:02 | +51:57    )
9. Torpado Kenda FSA: Katazina Sosna Pinele & Giorgia Marchet (8:32:50 | +1:06:45 Inc 1-Hour Pen)