haley smith : 5 videos

It was a classic scene at the start of the Grand Finale in Zermatt, to anyone who’s ridden a mountain bike stage race before. There was a familiar air of excitement among riders, fans and crew in the race village – the week of racing was coming to a close. However, experienced campaigners are well aware of the dangers of letting their guard down until they reach the finish line, so the good-cheer was mixed in with some trepidation. In the men’s category, overall race leaders Team Scott-SRAM’s...

With rains falling overnight, riders welcomed the cooler temperatures on Stage 4, especially with the long climb between Täsch and Sunegga to come. 61 beautiful kilometres transitioned the race towards its final destination – the mighty Matterhorn – navigating the coveted trails of Europaweg and Sunegga-Flowtrail. Into the penultimate stage of the 2018 Perskindol Swiss Epic, there is still everything to play for in the overall GC in both the Men’s and Women’s categories, with spots on the pod...

Wednesday’s stage saw the leaders’ jerseys change shoulders in the men’s and women’s categories after a hard 77km with 2700m of climbing. Bad luck struck overall leaders BMC Fischer Price with mechanicals costing them over 46 minutes. The leaders’ jerseys went to Scott-SRAM’s Frischknecht and Stirnemann. In the women’s, Team Canada’s high tempo on the final climb put Thömus RN on the back foot, gaining Pendrel and Smith valuable time and also a significant psychological advantage over Keller...

Stage 1 at the Perskindol Swiss Epic saw a surprise victory in the Men’s category, when BMC Fischer Price held a high rhythm on the final 10km to overcome the considerable efforts of team Scott-SRAM. Martin Fanger and Noah Blöchlinger found themselves in the coveted yellow leaders’ jerseys and a 55 second lead to defend. The women’s race was even tighter – Team Canada led almost the entire stage but Team Thömus used their local know how to measure their efforts on the day and pick the perfect...

The 2018 Perskindol Swiss Epic kicked off five days of challenging yet rewarding mountain biking in Bettmeralp. This year’s edition sees riders navigate some 50 municipalities in the fairytale-like Valais region, while surrounded by jagged Alpine peaks. Riders cover 50-80km each day with 1800-2800m of climbing before arriving in Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn on Saturday. 334 athletes left the race village this morning under clear skies, setting off on a 63km loop, culminating in the m...