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14–18 Apr, 2026See Race Details4Islands Epic
Preparation
Preparation is key
Completing the five-day SPAR Swiss Epic mountain bike stage race is sure to be a highlight on any athlete’s calendar. It may be entirely achievable, but preparation and conditioning to tackle the race deserves careful attention and a good dose of respect.
Rider checklists
- Mountainbike in perfect working order (E-bikes are not allowed).
- Recommendation: light-weighted Marathon/XC-Bike with full suspension of around 120mm.
- Traditional road handlebars are not permitted.
- We recommend that you replace any old parts that may not survive the distance.
- Tires for every kind of weather condition.
- Recommendation: tubeless tires with an ideal width of 2.3” or 2.4".
- A dropper seat post is highly recommended.
- CE approved Helmet
- MTB shoes (non-slip, there will be a few walking sections)
- Chamois Cream
- Sunglasses
- We recommend: Hydration pack with space for spares – a capacity of 2 litres.
- Bottles
- Front and rear bike light
- GPS/Heart rate monitor, bike computer (optional) + Chargers
- Tools (including duct tape, tyre levers, spare cable, CO2 cartridges and/or pump, cable ties, pins, brake pads, hanger, chain, quick links, chain lube, tubes and multitool)
- Gear for hot and cold temperatures and every kind of weather conditions
- 2-3 bibs / riding shorts
- 2-3 team jerseys (You and your partner have to wear matching cycling jerseys each day)
- Wind breaker and / or rain jacket
- Gloves
- Cuffs and leg warmers (In case of adverse conditions)
- Several pairs of socks
While we hope you mostly moderate weather conditions, it is vital to be prepared for a variety of temperatures, ranging between 16° to 24° Celsius. Pack rain and cold gear accordingly, as the weather can change quickly.
- Fresh Socks
- Fresh/warm clothes
- Towel and everything you need for showering
- Special Food & Drinks
- Long pants
- Track pants
- Shorts
- T-Shirts
- Hoodie
- Warm jacket
- Rain jacket
- Shoes (1x pair of casual shoes, 1x pair of slippers)
- Underwear
- Swimwear
- Cap
- Personal medical kit
- Sunscreen
- Ear Plugs
- Bike lock (To safely store your bike between stages outside our bike park if you need it)
- Charging cables
- Hand laundry detergent
- Credit card
- Cash
- SIM card
- Do you have a valid identification card or passport?
- Do you need a visa?
- Do you have a travel / cancellation insurance?
- Do you have a health insurance?
- Do you have a medical aid, rescue and transport insurance?
Designing a good training plan and scheduling sufficient rest are the two most important factors when it comes to cycling improvements. Athletes, top-level or amateur, find a grand portion of motivation for hard work and success inside (intrinsic motivation). There is no training plan hard enough or pain deep enough to stop our motivation. We would cope with just about anything in our desire for progress. But this type of motivation can get us in trouble on our path to the desired level of fitness. With that motivation in our training routine, we quickly end up with a hard training session when we should have done as easy one followed by another hard day… You know where that will lead.
That kind of unstructured and unwise combination of training loads is not effective, it is a waste of our precious time and just not smart. Athletes trapped in that kind of a vicious circle make progress in the beginning but soon end up on the same fitness level with lots of plateaus and fatigue issues.
A good training plan is bases on an analysis of the current condition, pointing out weaknesses, structuring training load and rest and that brings us to making progress. All that is left to do is to train in line with that plan, follow instructions and employ good recovery strategies that will prevent injuries and possible illness that can be a step back in achieving our goals.
It is the coach’s task to make a training plan, analyse its execution and adjust the plan in case of unexpected events. What is most important is the coach’s objective, non-emotionally driven perspective on the entire process. That is a huge difference and advantage in comparison to self-coached athletes.
I can assure you it is worth giving a coach a chance to change your training, from my own twenty-year long experience as a self-coached athlete. Every year I wanted someone to revise my training objectively and make decisions on how to proceed, as I was always over motivated and subjective towards myself, self-pressed with my goals and dreams of good results and prone to over-training in that motivation.
226ers will be at the SPAR Swiss Epic to help keep you fuelled as you Conquer The Alps.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to find out more about the 226ers products on offer.
While mostly moderate weather conditions are expected at the end of August, it is vital to be prepared for a variety of temperatures, ranging between 16° to 24° Celsius. Pack rain and cold gear accordingly. A helmet is compulsory, and gloves are recommended.
Every rider (and supporter) need to have a valid identification card or passport to enter Switzerland. For some countries, you may also need to apply for a visa. Please make sure to contact your embassy so you get a confirmation if a visa is required to enter Switzerland and double check the validation of your passport during your stay. You can visit the website of State Secretariat for Migration SEM for more information about visa applications.
If you require a letter for your visa application confirming that you will be attending the SPAR Swiss Epic, please send us an email to [email protected] and we will be happy to assist you.
We’d urge you to ensure that your participation at the SPAR Swiss Epic is covered – all participants should have a health and personal accident insurance which covers potential accidents in Switzerland as well as rescue and transport insurance. The insurance must cover the full costs of emergency transport. Participants are responsible for their own accident, rescue, health, property and liability insurance. Participants shall bear any costs that arise from them engaging the services of third parties (such as rescue services) or the race organiser engaging third parties on their behalf. The race organisers recommend that participants join REGA. Furthermore, a cancellation insurance is highly recommended.
The official national currency is the Swiss franc. We recommend to check the exchange rates prior to your departure. All commonly-known credit cards (Visa and MasterCard) are valid in Switzerland. Make sure that you notify your bank that you will be travelling and your credit card will be used in a foreign country. You will find ATM’s in many various locations. Please note that foreign currencies won’t be accepted in the race villages of SPAR Swiss Epic.
Switzerland’s country code is +41. To make a call, you need to dial in the country code, followed by the phone number you would like to call.
In the race villages and in nearly all of the hotels access to Wi-Fi is provides. If you would like to be on the safe side to reduce roaming charges to a minimum, a mobile SIM card can be buyed. This allows you to keep your beloved fans up to date about your experiences. For SIM cards, we recommend the Sunrise Shop at the airport in Zurich.
226ERS Nutrition Partner of Epic Series
Check the products from 226ERS that you can enjoy at SPAR Swiss Epic. Live the Swiss experience to the full with 226ERS! These are the products that you will find in the feed zones throughout the race.
226ERS will take part at SPAR Swiss Epic with a view to providing the healthiest products possible, all of which are gluten-free, free of GMO’s and feature no unnecessary additives. We use the finest and highest-quality ingredients in order to ensure that nothing interferes with your digestive system or the absorption of all the nutrients you require to enjoy sports activities and endurance competitions.
HYDRAZERO
Hypotonic drink. We recommend you try our mineral salts drink during the trial. It will help you to replace lost electrolytes and refill your mineral salt reserves.
Each dose of Hydrazero provides 500mg of sodium, which improves hydration and provides a better balance of body fluids. It is made with stevia, which means that it replaces lost electrolytes, but without adding any calories.
You’ll find it in two flavours: lemon and tropical flavour.
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RACE DAY BAR
A gluten-free energy bar that is suitable for vegans: perfect for training and competitions. Rich in carbohydrates, being made of nuts and pumpkin seeds. Easy to chew, these bars provide energy but do not provoke any insulin spikes.
You’ll find them in different flavours and featuring different characteristics. Which one will you choose?
Race Day Bar BCAA - In 8:1:1 ratio (Leucine+)
- Dark Chocolate: with natural cocoa powder, organic chocolate chips and natural chocolate aroma
- Apple & Cinnamon: with organic chopped dried apple, organic cinnamon powder and natural apple aroma.
Race Day Bar choco bits - With delicious chocolate bits
- Strawberry & White Chocolate: with strawberry powder, natural strawberry aroma and white chocolate chips. (Due to the milk content in the white chocolate chips, this flavour is not suitable for vegans or for the lactose-intolerant)
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HIGH FRUCTOSE GEL
Stick 80g: energy gel formulated with maltodextrin and fructose in the proportion of 10:8, providing 55 g of carbohydrates per gel and 220 Kcal. In addition to 250 mg of sodium. It is vegan friendly and gluten free.
The combination of maltodextrin and fructose enables the digestion and assimilation of high amounts of carbohydrates per hour, reducing the risk of gastric problems.
Which flavour do you prefer?
- Banana
- Strawberry
- Cola: with 100mg of caffeine
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ISOTONIC GEL
Stick 69g: isotonic energy gel with cyclodextrin (for prolonged energy release), natural flavours, stevia and a high carbohydrate content (22g), 89 Kcal per gel.
Improves glycogen replenishment more efficiently. You don't need water to take it, the gel itself contains the necessary amount. Available in 3 flavours and 2 different formulations:
- Lime and Watermelon: basic formula
- Cola: with 100mg of caffeine
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HIGH ENERGY GEL
76g Stick: our gels provide 50g of carbohydrates per unit. They are designed to offer prolonged energy release, perfect during exercise.
During the 4Islands Race you will be able to choose from amongst the following varieties:
- Lemon and Neutral: basic formula with natural aromas
- Expresso Coffee: with 80mg of caffeine
- Peanut & Honey: it contain 250mg of sodium and a salty touch
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Rider Badge
The Rider Badge is available to any participant of the SPAR Swiss Epic and can be used on any merchandise, including your rider kit.
PLEASE NOTE, the right to use the official SPAR Swiss Epic logo is reserved for sponsors and partners of the event only and may not be used by individuals or non-sponsors in any way.
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