Back in Verbier – and what a weekend it was! At round 6 of the iXS European Downhill Cup, perfect conditions and an extremely long course made for some top-class racing. Around 250 riders from 25 nations took up the challenge, before going on to compete for the coveted national titles at the Swiss Championships on Sunday.

Cold start

Friday in Verbier got off to a start that was anything but summery. With temperatures of just 7 degrees and a cloudy sky, warm clothing was a must. However, as the day went on, the sun came out more and more, eventually creating really good conditions on the course. 

Every meter counts

The extended track walk soon paid off, as the course is a real challenge: 2.8 kilometres and around 430 metres of elevation gain await the field of riders. Over this distance, there is plenty to discover, with numerous technical sections, jumps and fast stretches where every line has to be spot on. The riders approached their first practice runs with the necessary focus.

Saturday, seeding, glorious sunshine 

Saturday could hardly have gone better. Bright sunshine, a perfect course and ideal conditions made for a brilliant second day in Verbier. Just under 250 riders took to the 2.8-kilometre course – and the many runs had already left their mark. By the end of the day, the course was well worn and demanded even more: concentration, precision and riding brilliance.

Fast times

In the Elite Men’s race, Yannick Baechler (SUI – Baechler Brothers) took the lead with a time of 4:00.277 minutes, narrowly missing the four-minute mark. He was followed by Noa Hirst Walker (GBR – Planet MTB), just under four seconds behind, and Loris Revelli (ITA – Ridewill Bike Center Cimone). Baechler’s fastest time came as little surprise – he had already won recently in Bellwald and at the French Cup in Châtel. 

In the Elite Women’s race, Lisa Baumann (SUI – Commencal Schwalbe Les Orres) took first place, three seconds ahead of Kerstin Sallegger (AUT – OmniBiotic Powerteam), with Elise Porta (FRA – Agthena Gravity) finishing third. Once again, it was the young riders who stole the show: Tess van Weerdhuizen (NOR – IF Frøy), competing as a Pro U17 female, was even faster than the entire Elite field and set the fastest time of the day among all women. Sienna Paul (GBR – GEN-S) also finished ahead of the Elite’s fastest time.

Swiss Champions

On Sunday, things got serious – and Yannick Baechler capped off his strong weekend with victory in the Elite Men’s race. The title in the Elite Women’s race also went to Switzerland: Lisa Baumann put in an impressive performance, securing victory whilst also clocking the fastest women’s time of the day. As a result, both can now call themselves Swiss champions.

The 4-minute mark was broken

The young riders made another big impression. Juliano Lavergne from the Pro U17 male category clocked the fastest time of the whole day, finishing around half a second faster than the Elite Men. Close behind him was his compatriot Quentin Gabriel Barbe, just 0.3 seconds behind. This is impressive proof of just how much pace the next generation already possesses. We can certainly look forward to great things from them in the future...

Simply perfect

Verbier was at its very best this weekend. Sunshine, perfect conditions and a challenging course made for some top-class downhill racing. The Swiss Championships added an extra special highlight to the weekend – and the strong performance of the young riders once again demonstrated just how much potential the next generation has. An all-round successful EDC weekend and a fitting sixth round of the season.