CANNONDALE ISB SPORT and KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes added to their overnight leads with victories on Stage 3 of the 2024 SPAR Swiss Epic. The men in yellow, Lorenzo and Nicolas Samparisi claimed their second stage win; while the women in orange, Monica Calderon and Tessa Kortekaas, added a third to their great Graubünden performance.
For the second time in three days KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes have emerged victorious at the SPAR Swiss Epic. Photo by Sam Clark.
Thursday, 22 August’s, SPAR Swiss Epic stage was the first to start and finish in Davos, in the 2024 race. It is also the only day which will not take riders above 2 000 metres above sea level. This led to a more cross-country style to the racing, though it did not change who the dominant teams in the UCI Men’s and Women’s categories were. Monica Calderon and Tessa Kortekaas added 6 minutes and 50 seconds to their general classification advantage, while Lorenzo and Nicolas Samparisi extended their overall lead by a further 20 seconds on Stage 3.
The 64 kilometre long stage, despite its less extreme profile, still boasted 2 100 metres of accumulated ascent. Major climbs included the grinds to the summits of Alp Novai and Alp Drustscha, which at 1 770 metres above sea level is the lowest high point of any stage in the race. Descents of Grüenbödeli Selfranga Trail and Monbiel Downhill provided excitement, while views over Lake Davos and along the Landquart added to the stunning beauty of the race through Klosters and the Sardasca Valley. It was however the rooty forest trails which caused the most dramatic moments of the day.
Both Monica Calderon and Fadri Barandun shed blood after crashes on Stage 3. Photo by Michael Chiaretta.
In the UCI Men’s race Fadri Barandun, of the Engadin La Punt team, crashed hard on his elbow after losing his front wheel on a wet and exposed root in a forest trail. The Swiss rider was able to remount his bike and complete the stage. Moments later, when the leading UCI Women’s team reached the same rooty spot, Calderon was taken down by the same obstacle.
The Colombian was brought to an abrupt halt by a large root and catapulted over her handlebars. “Monica had a little crash,” Kortekaas confirmed. “It wasn’t so bad, but because of previous crashes the skin on her knee is very thin so it bleeds a lot, very easily. Fortunately, her head is very strong and she was able to keep pushing. I’m super proud of her.”
CANNONDALE ISB SPORT made it a perfect three from three on Stage 3. Photo by Michael Chiaretta.
At the time of the crash the CANNONDALE ISB SPORT pair were already comfortably leading by over 4 minutes, and were able to add an additional 2 minutes to their advantage on the day, due to their climbing prowess and the ascent to Alp Drustscha. “It was a stressful day,” Kortekaas confessed. “We were leading from the first downhill, were we unexpectedly created a little gap. Because of that advantage we decided to push a bit and see what happens. We didn’t expect to be leading so soon, but we decided there was no way back so we had to keep pushing. Monica’s crash was a stressful moment, but she was still able to push hard. So, we are feeling good going into the final two stages.”
After three days of racing Calderon and Kortekaas lead Vera Looser and Danielle Strydom by 16 minutes and 22 seconds, with MenteCorpo Cicli Drigani’s Costanza Fasolis and Chiara Burato a further 21 minutes back. The UCI Women’s top five are rounded out by the 1Vision – Concordia Burggen and Next Ride – Santa Cruz teams. Though the latter is well behind fourth, but equally over an hour up on Liv Alba in sixth.
KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes attacked within the final 15 kilometres to canter to stage victory. Photo by Michael Chiaretta.
Despite KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes’ dominance across the first three stages, which has seen them sprint for victory twice before winning Stage 3 at a canter, their general classification lead is much slimmer than that of CANNONDALE ISB SPORT. This is why they opted to attack when the opportunity presented itself 15 kilometres from the line. “Today was an amazing day, with another win,” Nicolas Samparisi smiled. “I saw that the other guys were maybe not feeling that good on the final climb, so we attacked hard and pushed for the finish line.”
“Tomorrow, probably, we will try to stay in the leading group until the last climb, then we will look for an opportunity to attack,” Lorenzo Samparisi added. “It was amazing to win solo today, after two days of sprints, so it would be great to do that again tomorrow.”
A day with more descending than climbing awaits on Stage 4, as the race heads from Davos to Chur. Photo by Nick Muzik.
Barandun’s second day of difficulties and another strong performance by the Mondraker Walter MTB – KA BOOM Krapf team has established the Swiss pair as the Italian’s nearest rivals. Ursin Spescha and Simon Walter were just 20 seconds behind the Samparisi brothers on the stage and now find themselves 1 minute and 46 seconds back on the general classification standings. “I was a little bit afraid today, because there were a lot of altitude meters in a relatively short stage. But it was okay, we raced it like a XCO race today,” Spescha stated. “After they attacked, we could see the Samparisis all the time, so we didn’t lose a lot today.”
Friday’s stage from Davos to Chur will present ample opportunities for Specha and Walter to put pressure on the race leaders. “There are still three long climbs tomorrow, even if Chur is a lot lower than Davos, it will still be a tough day,” adopted Swiss local, Looser revealed. The first is the Walser Mule climb to the summit of the Strelapass at 2 352 metres above sea level. A long descent to the Langwieser Viaduct follows, before the climbing resumes to the Schanfigger Ridge and concludes with an ascent of the Mittenberg. The final 15 kilometres to Chur are largely downhill, with a single singletrack ascent, providing a final challenge. Much of the descent takes place on forest dual-track, which should make the drive to the finish line particularly fast, but equally potentially dangerous for any team who takes undue risks.
The trail along the Landquart provided spectacular views. Photo by Nick Muzik.
To follow the Stage 4 action live mountain biking fans are encouraged to tune into the SPAR Swiss Epic’s live broadcast on the Epic Series YouTube Channel here. Daily highlights from the race can also be viewed on the YouTube Channel, and the excitement from the trails of Graubünden will be shared on the SPAR Swiss Epic Facebook page and @swiss_epic on Instagram. To find out more visit www.epic-series.com/swissepic.
SPAR Swiss Epic Stage 3 UCI Women’s podium. Photo by Sam Clark.
2024 SPAR Swiss Epic Results:
UCI Men | Stage 3:
- KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes: Lorenzo & Nicolas Samparisi (2:51:23)
- Mondraker Walter MTB – KA BOOM Krapf: Ursin Spescha & Simon Walter (2:51:43| +20)
- BIXS Performance 2: Gian Schmid & Lukas Flückiger (2:52:25 | +1:02)
- Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2: Miguel Munoz & Sebastian Gesche (2:54:54 | +3:31)
- Wilier Vittoria: Fabian Rabensteiner & Samuele Porro (2:54:55 | +3:32)
UCI Women | Stage 3:
- CANNONDALE ISB SPORT: Monica Calderon & Tessa Kortekaas (3:35:23)
- Efficient Infiniti: Vera Looser & Danielle Strydom (3:42:13 | +6:50)
- MenteCorpo Cicli Drigani: Costanza Fasolis & Chiara Burato (3:43:59 | +8:36)
- 1Vision – Concordia Burggen: Daniela Höfler & Antonia Daubermann (3:49:31 | +14:08)
- Next Ride – Santa Cruz: Chrystelle Baumann & Sandra Stadelmann (4:05:00 | +29:37)
SPAR Swiss Epic Stage 3 UCI Men’s podium. Photo by Sam Clark.
UCI Men’s General Classification after Stage 3:
- KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes: Lorenzo & Nicolas Samparisi (9:50:56)
- Mondraker Walter MTB – KA BOOM Krapf: Ursin Spescha & Simon Walter (9:52:42 | +1:46)
- BIXS Performance 2: Gian Schmid & Lukas Flückiger (9:53:28 | +2:32)
- Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2: Miguel Munoz & Sebastian Gesche (9:57:38 | +6:42)
- Engadin La Punt: Fadri Barandun & Simon Vitzthum (9:58:59 | +8:03)
UCI Women’s General Classification after Stage 3:
- CANNONDALE ISB SPORT: Monica Calderon & Tessa Kortekaas (12:17:40)
- Efficient Infiniti: Vera Looser & Danielle Strydom (12:34:02 | +16:22)
- MenteCorpo Cicli Drigani: Costanza Fasolis & Chiara Burato (12:54:50 | +37:10)
- 1Vision – Concordia Burggen: Daniela Höfler & Antonia Daubermann (13:04:32 | +46:52)
- Next Ride – Santa Cruz: Chrystelle Baumann & Sandra Stadelmann (13:52:02 | +1:34:22)
For the full results from the 2024 SPAR Swiss Epic click here.
Forest singletracks proved more tricky than the rocky natural trails higher on the mountain during Stage 3. Photo by Nick Muzik.
