Flückiger Rolls Back the SPAR Swiss Epic Clock on the Penultimate Stage
40-year-old, two-time SPAR Swiss Epic champion, Lukas Flückiger stormed to stage victory and into the general classification race lead alongside his BIXS Performance 2 teammate, Gian Schmid, on Stage 4.
40-year-old, two-time SPAR Swiss Epic champion, Lukas Flückiger stormed to stage victory and into the general classification race lead alongside his BIXS Performance 2 teammate, Gian Schmid, on Stage 4. The Swiss combination leapfrogged from third to first on the leaderboard to set up what is sure to be a dramatic final stage on Saturday. Another strong climbing performance from CANNONDALE ISB SPORT all but secured Mónica Calderón and Tessa Kortekaas the UCI Women’s title, with a day remaining in the race.
Lukas Flückiger and Gian Schmid dominated Stage 4 of the SPAR Swiss Epic, winning the Davos to Chur route on 23 August 2024. Their victory, by 1 minute and 46 seconds, propelled the BIXS Performance 2 team from third to first overall, overtaking the KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes team. In the UCI Women’s race, Mónica Calderón and Tessa Kortekaas secured their fourth consecutive win despite two crashes, setting up CANNONDALE ISB SPORT for a potential clean sweep of stage victories. Though advertised as a downhill stage, the 64-kilometre route included three tough climbs before a final 16-kilometre descent into Chur.
Flückiger and Schmid of BIXS Performance 2, along with their teammates from BIXS Performance 1, launched an early attack, gaining a crucial lead by the 25-kilometre mark. Meanwhile, the KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes duo struggled to keep pace, particularly on the third climb, where they fell behind. “We kept up on the first two climbs but lost ground on the third,” admitted Nicolas Samparisi. Lorenzo Samparisi added, “It was a tough day for me.”
Despite a plan to have BIXS Performance 1 win the stage while BIXS Performance 2 focused on the overall lead, a mechanical issue at 49 kilometres took Team 1 out of contention.
BIXS Performance 2 pushed hard in the final kilometres, unknowingly racing into the overall lead. Flückiger and Schmid regained crucial time, winning the stage by 1 minute and 46 seconds, and moving from third to first overall. The Samparisi brothers, who started in yellow, lost 7 minutes and 24 seconds, dropping to third place. The new leaders now have a 60-second advantage going into the final stage. Fabian Rabensteiner’s withdrawal after missing Stage 3 ended Wilier Vittoria’s chances in the race.
CANNONDALE ISB SPORT’s path to victory was again fraught with challenges, despite extending their overall lead by 4 minutes and 7 seconds. Calderón raced with a bandaged knee from a previous fall, while Kortekaas had two crashes on Stage 4, including a dramatic “superman” dismount. Fortunately, the only damage was a muddy jersey.
Reflecting on the day, Kortekaas noted the difficulty of the climbs and technical descents. Looking ahead, Stage 5 promises to be equally demanding, with three major climbs and 2,450 metres of ascent. The final day will test the riders on the Höhenweg, Panorama Trail, and other challenging sections before concluding the 62-kilometre course.
To follow the Grand Finale - Stage 5 mountain biking fans are encouraged to tune into the SPAR Swiss Epic’s Live Broadcast in https://youtu.be/3UDUgwc1GHI. To keep you updated visit us on the SPAR Swiss Epic Facebook page or follow @swiss_epic on Instagram. The Daily Highlights from each stage 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 4:
1. BIXS Performance 2: Gian Schmid & Lukas Flückiger (3:09:48)
2. Mondraker Walter MTB - KA BOOM Krapf: Ursin Spescha & Simon Walter (3:11:34 | +1:46)
3. BUFF MEGAMO: Hans Becking & Wout Alleman (3:13:58 | +4:10)
4. KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes: Lorenzo & Nicolas Samparisi (3:17:12 | +7:24)
5. BIXS Performance 1: Joel Roth & Timon Rüegg (3:17:17 | +7:29)
UCI Women | Stage 4:
1. CANNONDALE ISB SPORT: Mónica Calderón & Tessa Kortekaas (4:09:45)
2. Efficient Infiniti: Vera Looser & Danielle Strydom (4:13:52 | +4:07)
3. 1Vision - Concordia Burggen: Daniela Höfler & Antonia Daubermann (4:15:58 | +6:13)
4. MenteCorpo Cicli Drigani: Costanza Fasolis & Chiara Burato (4:27:48 | +18:03)
5. Next Ride - Santa Cruz: Chrystelle Baumann & Sandra Stadelmann (4:46:50| +37:05)
UCI Men’s General Classification after Stage 4:
1. BIXS Performance 2: Gian Schmid & Lukas Flückiger (13:03:16)
2. Mondraker Walter MTB - KA BOOM Krapf: Ursin Spescha & Simon Walter (13:04:16 | +1:00)
3. KTM Alchemist Brenta Brakes: Lorenzo & Nicolas Samparisi (13:08:08 | +4:52)
4. Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2: Miguel Munoz & Sebastian Gesche (13:17:21 | +14:05)
5. Ischgl-Simplon-KMC: Teus Ruijter & Michael Wohlgemuth (13:32:52 | +29:36)
UCI Women’s General Classification after Stage 4:
1. CANNONDALE ISB SPORT: Mónica Calderón & Tessa Kortekaas (16:27:25)
2. Efficient Infiniti: Vera Looser & Danielle Strydom (16:47:54 | +20:29)
3. MenteCorpo Cicli Drigani: Costanza Fasolis & Chiara Burato (17:10:48 | +43:23
4. 1Vision - Concordia Burggen: Daniela Höfler & Antonia Daubermann (17:32:20 | +1:04:55)
5. Next Ride - Santa Cruz: Chrystelle Baumann & Sandra Stadelmann (18:38:52 | +2:11:27)
For the full results from the 2024 SPAR Swiss Epic click here.
