The Swiss Epic’s official apparel partners Scatta will be represented at the five-day race in Graubünden by Vera Adrian and Zina Barhoumi.

Both Vera Adrian and Zina Barhoumi spend more time on drop-bar bikes than they do on mountain bikes. That does however not mean that the Scatta Ladies team will out of sorts on the trails through Graubünden’s high mountains. In fact, they are both highly accomplished riders and Adrian has a sixth place in the Absa Cape Epic on her palmarès. Barhoumi meanwhile will be looking to transfer her cyclocross skills, which saw her win the Swiss National Championships, to the Swiss Epic.

“I should probably train more on my mountain bike” Adrian laughed. “I recently did a three-day mountain bike race in the Swiss mountains, just to remember how hard mountain bike stage racing is. I will also have to have a look at some of the Swiss Epic stages, not just by studying the route maps and profiles but by riding some of the trails. It is always good to know what is coming. But saying all this, we have to keep in mind that it is Zina [Barhoumi]’s first mountain bike stage race. So, the race will be to finishing strong, represent our sponsors well and have a lot of great war stories to tell afterwards.”

“For me, as Vera [Adrian] said it is the first time that I race a mountain bike stage race” Barhoumi confessed. “Therefore, I think it is important that I focus on myself and my performance, I’d really like to do my best at the Swiss Epic. I see the race as a new challenge for myself and one I’m really looking forward to. It’s going to be and adventure to spend five great, but hard, days racing in the beautiful Swiss Alps; especially with a fantastic teammate like Vera. I also see the Swiss Epic as potentially great preparation for the upcoming CX season.”

Having relocated to Switzerland, with her husband Konny Looser, Adrian is still acclimatising to the Alps. “In comparison to South Africa and Namibia, Switzerland has much longer climbs. It took me quite a while to accept that climbing non-stop for 2 hours is possible. At the end of the day, it is all in your head” she said. “In South Africa you will not find a climb where you start at 1 000 metres above sea level and climb to 2 500 metres. While in Switzerland climbs like that are virtually common. The weather also plays a role in making it difficult to adapt from riding in Africa to riding here. It can get really cold and wet, even in the summer months, at high elevations in the mountains. For the Swiss Epic we are hoping for a week of sunshine; though fortunately we will have the best possible apparel from Scatta, if the weather doesn’t play along.”

Along with hopes of good weather and the search for great war stories to tell afterwards Adrian and Barhoumi are excited by the trails the Swiss Epic has become renowned for. “From what I’ve heard the trails of Graubünden are really great” Adrian enthused. “We’re both looking forward to a week of real mountain biking!”

To follow the Scatta Ladies and the rest of the stacked women’s elite field in the Swiss Epic visit here. The race website will feature live rider-tracking and regular updates from the course, as well as daily news features, photo albums and highlight videos.