The elite women’s field for the 2020 Swiss Epic is packed with star power. Headlined by Annika Langvad along with rising stars of the global sport, the five-day race through Graubünden is sure to be a humdinger.

When Annika Langvad lines up for a stage race, she and her teammate are de facto favourites, virtually regardless of circumstances. Since 2014 the Dane is undefeated in Epic Series races, notching up a record-equalling five Absa Cape Epic titles. That could well change, however, when the 2020 Swiss Epic gets underway in Graubünden, on the 18th of August. The elite women’s field for the seventh edition of the race is the strongest yet and features a host of potential challengers.

Langvad will be assisted in her bid to add another Epic Series title to her impressive list of victories by Haley Batten. The young American joined Specialized – Racing at the start of the season and has already raced successfully with her senior partner at the Cyprus Sunshine Cup. A commanding victory over a strong field, back in February, suggests that the pair could be tough to beat in Graubünden, too.

The region’s rugged terrain and natural trails do, however, create opportunities for other riders to put the favourites under pressure. Especially the rival teams with more Swiss Epic experience, than the Specialized – Racing pair, could prove dangerous. Ariane Lüthi and Alice Pirard, of Andermatt Spur, are among the most experienced campaigners in the race.

Lüthi and Pirard finished on the 2019 podium. That experience could see them wait for a mistake by Langvad and Batten. Another team who will be relying upon stage-racing nous is the Centurion-Vaude Radon combination of Stefanie Dohrn and Elisabeth Brandau. Dohrn finished second, in the race, alongside Pirard in 2019. This year she has the reigning German cross-country champion in her corner. Both riders are exceptionally experienced and are expected to mount a sustained challenge throughout the five-days of racing.

An exciting though perhaps less predictable pair are the Swiss Cycling duo of Sina Frei and Nicole Koller. Brought together by their national cycling federation, as they ride for opposing trade teams, Frei and Koller are undoubtedly talented. Frei is the reigning under 23 cross-country World Champion while Köller is former junior World Champion in the same discipline. How competitive they will prove to be, over 320 kilometres of racing, against their experienced rivals remains to be seen. However, motivation and preparation will not be a problem for the Swiss combination.

“A few weeks ago, we trained with the national team up in Davos” Koller explained. “We spent the entire camp riding our mountain bikes, so we got to know the trails around Davos pretty well. That will help us on the final two stages I’m sure. Overall, I’m expecting a nice, but also a hard time on the bike during the Swiss Epic. We have to climb a significant number of metres in elevation, on each stage, so I hope we will be rewarded with some nice downhill trails. But, for sure, I will enjoy riding my bike in the Swiss mountains; especially with Sina [Frei] as my partner.”

Another team who will be enjoying ever centimetre of the trails from Laax to Davos, via Arosa, are Corina Gantenbein and Hielke Elferink. Riding for Davos Klosters, the women are firm friends and training partners beyond the race. In 2019 Gantenbein wore the leader jersey for three stages, while Elferink had to sit the event out with a knee injury. This year their goal is to get Elferink through her first major race in over a year, incident free, though they will be racing their hearts out and having a great time while doing so too.

The Scatta Ladies also come into the race with the target of racing, enjoying themselves and finishing safely. It will be cyclocross star Zina Barhoumi’s first mountain bike stage race. As such she and Vera Adrian are circumspect as to their chances of a top overall result, but they are not letting that affect their enthusiasm for the event.

Linda Indergand and Karla Stepkova, of Maloja Pushbikers Women, as well as the jb BRUNEX Felt Factory Team of Kim Ames and Nina Benz are also teams who could be in contention for final podium places. Ames and Benz will have the added advantage of being the only team in the women’s race with a back-up squad. Whether or not jb BRUNEX Felt Factory Team 2’s Sophie von Berswordt-Wallrabe and Jacqueline Schneebeli will ride in support of the designated team 1 or for their own general classification ambitions remains to be seen. However, with punctures and mechanicals always a risk on the alpine trails the support of a second team could prove invaluable.

The elite women’s field is completed by the Welsche and Liv Swiss / Cube Store Chur teams. Charline Fragnière and Chrystelle Baumann will represent the former at the Swiss Epic, while Alessia Nay and Franziska Brun will be turning out for the local Liv importers and Chur’s Cube Bicycles dealer. As with many of the Graubünden based riders, Nay will have local knowledge to call upon, especially when the race passes near Chur on Stage 2, from Laax to Arosa.

To follow the action from the elite women’s race at the 2020 Swiss Epic visit www.swiss-epic.com. Alternatively download the Epic Series mobile application from the iTunes or Google Play stores. All the stages will be coved by regular updates and all the teams can be tracked, live, throughout the race.