The Swiss Epic is an annual
mountain bike
A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling (''mountain biking''). Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in r ...
stage race
A race stage, leg, or heat is a unit of a racing, race that has been divided in several parts for the reason such as length of the distance to be covered, as in a multi-day race, multi-day event. Usually, such a race consists of "ordinary" stages ...
held in the
Canton of Grisons
The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include:
* ;
* Romansh:
**
**
**
**
**
**;
* ;
* ;
* .
See also other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton of Graubünden, is one of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland. I ...
, Switzerland. It has been accredited as
hors catégorie
''Hors catégorie'' (HC) is a French term used in stage bicycle races to designate a climb that is "beyond categorization". The term was originally used for those mountain roads where cars were not expected to be able to pass.
The HC climb is th ...
(beyond categorisation) by the
Union Cycliste Internationale
The Union Cycliste Internationale (; UCI; ) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces di ...
. It is part of the global
Epic Series
The Epic Series is a series of mountain bike stage race
A race stage, leg, or heat is a unit of a racing, race that has been divided in several parts for the reason such as length of the distance to be covered, as in a multi-day race, multi-day ...
and was once inspired by the pinnacle event of it, the
Cape Epic
The Absa Cape Epic or the Cape Epic, founded by Kevin Vermaak is an annual mountain bike stage race held in the Western Cape, South Africa. First staged in 2004, it has been accredited as ''hors catégorie'' (beyond categorization) by the Un ...
.
Alongside the
Cape Epic
The Absa Cape Epic or the Cape Epic, founded by Kevin Vermaak is an annual mountain bike stage race held in the Western Cape, South Africa. First staged in 2004, it has been accredited as ''hors catégorie'' (beyond categorization) by the Un ...
and
The Pioneer in New Zealand, the Swiss Epic is considered a Legend Race. Legend races are the top category of the global Epic Series, and any rider resolute enough to complete three Epic Series races, including the pinnacle event, the Absa Cape Epic, gets awarded with Epic Legend status. This status is immortalised in the form of an Epic Legend medal.
History
The Swiss Epic was founded in 2014. Joko Vogel, Dany Gehrig, and
Thomas Frischknecht
Thomas Frischknecht (born 17 February 1970 in Feldbach, Switzerland) is a former Swiss mountain bike and cyclo-cross racer, often called Europe's ''Elder Statesman'' of mountain biking,
because of his extraordinarily long career at the top leve ...
had the idea of a multi-day stage race in Switzerland whereby the Cape Epic in South Africa has been used a model.
In 2014, two months after the first edition, the
Union Cycliste Internationale
The Union Cycliste Internationale (; UCI; ) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces di ...
(UCI) granted the
hors catégorie
''Hors catégorie'' (HC) is a French term used in stage bicycle races to designate a climb that is "beyond categorization". The term was originally used for those mountain roads where cars were not expected to be able to pass.
The HC climb is th ...
.
In 2018, the parliament of the
Canton of Grisons
The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include:
* ;
* Romansh:
**
**
**
**
**
**;
* ;
* ;
* .
See also other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton of Graubünden, is one of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland. I ...
signed a five-year contract with the Swiss Epic that they spend 300.000
CHF each year. Therefore, the race was relocated from the
Canton of Valais
Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...
to the
Canton of Grisons
The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include:
* ;
* Romansh:
**
**
**
**
**
**;
* ;
* ;
* .
See also other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton of Graubünden, is one of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland. I ...
. The Swiss Epic is considered the European equivalent of the
Cape Epic
The Absa Cape Epic or the Cape Epic, founded by Kevin Vermaak is an annual mountain bike stage race held in the Western Cape, South Africa. First staged in 2004, it has been accredited as ''hors catégorie'' (beyond categorization) by the Un ...
.
Editions
Winners
Men's winners
Women's winners
Masters winners
Grand Masters winners
Mixed winners
References
External links
*
{{Epic Series
*Swiss Epic