A dramatic opening day of the SPAR Swiss Epic saw Lorenzo and Nicolas Samparisi edge out the local favourites, Fadri Barandun and Simon Vitzthum, to claim the first stage victory of the 2024 race. The UCI Women’s battle was a less helter-skelter affair with Monica Calderón and Tessa Kortekaas outclimbing their rivals to win the day and seize the orange CIOVITA jerseys.

Stage 1 of the 2024 SPAR Swiss Epic on Tuesday, 20 August, saw thrilling action over a 75-kilometre course starting and finishing in La Punt. The UCI Men’s race quickly took an unexpected turn when pre-race favourites faltered, allowing KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes and Engadin La Punt to compete for stage honors. CANNONDALE ISB SPORT had a smoother path to victory on the opening day, showcasing their climbing prowess. 

The Maloja Region of Graubünden hosted the first of the five-day event, dominated by the climb to Corviglia on Piz Nair, reaching 2,500 metres above sea level. The stage also featured the WM Flow Trail, Foppettas Flow Trail, and Engadin Ski Marathon trail, with a total of 2,150 metres of ascending and descending. 

Before the serious climbing began, the SPAR Swiss Epic saw its first withdrawal as Axel Roudil-Cortinat of Bulls Mavericks dropped out early, likely fatigued from the European Marathon Championships just days before. Buff Megamo’s Hans Becking and Wout Alleman, along with Wilier Vittoria’s Fabian Rabensteiner and Samuele Porro, also struggled, with the Italian team minimizing their losses better than the others. 

Despite setbacks, the stage remained highly competitive. Local riders Fadri Barandun and Simon Vitzthum battled against top teams, including the Samparisi brothers, in a group whittled down by intense racing and the challenging course. A crash in the final 15 kilometres knocked Roberto Bou Martin and Luis Martínez out of contention, leaving Engadin La Punt and KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes to fight for the win. 

In the final 2 kilometres, Vitzthum gained a brief advantage over the Samparisi brothers, but a close sprint finish saw KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes cross the line first. Despite clipping bars with Barandun, Lorenzo Samparisi managed to stay upright and secure the win. 

Barandun, though disappointed to lose at home, remained optimistic about the upcoming stages, especially considering the unexpected success of Stage 1. KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes’ margin of victory was a slender 4 seconds over the Engadin La Punt combination. Mondraker Walter MTB - KA BOOM Krapf’s Spescha and Walter secured the final spot on the stage podium, just ahead of Gian Schmid and Lukas Flückiger, with Bou Martín and Martínez rounding out the top five. The top five teams are all within 30 seconds of each other. With 266 kilometres of racing still to come, Rabensteiner and Porro, currently in tenth place and 5 minutes and 39 seconds behind, remain in contention for the overall victory. 
 

In the UCI Women’s race, Mónica Calderón and Tessa Kortekaas had a stellar opening day, leading by nearly the same margin. The CANNONDALE ISB SPORT duo climbed away from their closest rivals, Vera Looser and Danielle Strydom, on the ascent to Corviglia and extended their lead in the second half of the stage. “I felt really good today, which surprised me,” Kortekaas admitted. “Usually, it takes me some time to adjust to the altitude, but my legs felt great despite the recent European Championships.” 
 
“At one point on the long climb, we estimated our lead at about 2 minutes,” she added. “After that, we focused on maintaining our pace, especially on the flats. Given our performance today, I think we can feel confident going into tomorrow.” 
 
However, Stage 2, the Queen Stage, will be no easy task. Featuring 2,400 metres of climbing and the highest peak of the 2024 race at 2,606 metres above sea level, the route starts in La Punt and ends in Davos. The course heads northeast towards Zernez before turning northwest to scale the challenging Scaletta Pass. The summit is just 20 kilometres from the finish of the 76-kilometre route, followed by the Dürrboden and Dischma Valley Trails. 
 
“The Scaletta Pass is quite a challenge,” joked Looser, who has four SPAR Swiss Epic finishes under her belt. “It’s going to be a tough day of climbing, but I hope the alphorns will be there to greet us at the summit again—that’s always a special part of the race!” 
 
To follow the Stage 2 action live mountain biking fans are encouraged to tune into the SPAR Swiss Epic’s live broadcast on the SPAR Swiss Epic Facebook page or follow @swiss_epic on Instagram. The Live Broadcast could be followed in https://youtu.be/3UDUgwc1GHI and the Highlights from the race can also be viewed on the Epic Series YouTube Channel. To find out more visit www.epic-series.com/swissepic.  

2024 SPAR Swiss Epic Results:
UCI Men | Stage 1:
1. KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes: Lorenzo Samparisi & Nicolas Samparisi (3:16:39) 
2. Engadin La Punt: Fadri Barandun & Simon Vitzthum (3:16:43 | +4)
3. Mondraker Walter MTB - KA BOOM Krapf: Ursin Spescha & Simon Walter (3:17:03 | +24) 
4. BIXS Performance 2: Gian Schmid & Lukas Flückiger (3:17:05 | +26)
5. KLIMATIZA TOTEEMI CABBERTY: Roberto Bou Martin & Luis Martínez (3:17:09 | +30)

UCI Women | Stage 1: 
1. CANNONDALE ISB SPORT: Monica Caledron & Tessa Kortekaas (4:03:01)
2. Efficient Infiniti: Vera Looser & Danielle Strydom (4:07:57 | +4:56)
3. MenteCorpo Cicli Drigani: Costanza Fasolis & Chiara Burato (4:16:21 | +13:20)
4. 1Vision - Concordia Burggen: Daniela Höfler & Antonia Daubermann (4:23:01 | +20:00)
5. Next Ride - Santa Cruz: Chrystelle Baumann & Sandra Stadelmann (4:30:22 | +27:21)

For the full results from the 2024 SPAR Swiss Epic click here.  
 
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