1. Lauf der Bike Marathon Classics am Raid Evolenard, am Sonntag, 9. Juni 2024 in Evolene. Foto Martin Platter

The new European champion Andreas Seewald at the Raid Evolénard for an unprecedented double.

Despite the clash with a World Cup round in Italy on the same weekend, the organizers of the Raid Evolénard FMV have succeeded in assembling a top-tier field for the opening race of the Bike Marathon Classics. The newly crowned European champion, Andreas Seewald, will be aiming for an unprecedented double with the Hero Dolomites and the Raid Evolénard. In the women’s category, Swiss champion Irina Lützelschwab will attempt the same feat. This race will also serve as the Romandy championship for the youth categories.

The Raid Evolénard FMV will kick off the Bike Marathon Classics next Sunday, culminating on September 5 and 6 with the Grand Raid BCVS, which will host the Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships. Held in the spectacular setting of the Val d’Hérens, the race follows part of the Grand Raid BCVS course. It previously hosted the European Championships in 2021, which were brilliantly won by German rider Andreas Seewald.

He caused a sensation last year by breaking the course record—set in 2015 by Valais native Johann Tschopp—by nearly 5 minutes (4’53”). Even more impressive: he won with over ten minutes’ lead on Martin Fanger, the winner of the 2023 edition. Just one week later, he also claimed victory at the Hero Dolomites, against the world’s top marathon specialists.
This year, Seewald is aiming even higher: to win both races on the same weekend. It’s a monumental challenge—one that Urs Huber nearly achieved in 2019, finishing second in Val Gardena before claiming victory in Evolène. The task promises to be even tougher this year, as the Hero Dolomites is now part of the Mountain Bike Marathon World Cup. But buoyed by his new European champion title—won at the very same venue where he was crowned world champion in 2021—the German rider will head to Italy full of confidence.

Urs Huber will also attempt the Val Gardena–Evolène double, while other contenders—physically fresher—will be ones to watch: Belgian rider Frans Claes, recent winner of the Roc Laissagais; Martin Fanger, a two-time winner of the event; as well as Hansueli Stauffer and French riders Théo Dupras and Pierre Billaud.

The Swiss champion is the favorite in the women’s field.

In the women’s race, Irina Lützelschwab stands out as the favorite, having finished third last year. The Swiss champion will have to watch out for German rider Bettina Janas, who took second place last year, and her Team Bulls teammate Alessia Nay, winner of the 2024 Bike Marathon Series. British rider Annabel Fisher, national gravel champion and former winner of the UCI gravel circuit, has also recently proven her mountain biking prowess by winning the grueling stage race Titan Desert Morocco.

Among the outsiders are Carmen Kohler, the 2022 winner, and Valais native Stefanie Zahno, a well-known figure to the local crowd.

A race for everyone!

For less experienced riders, in addition to the premier 62 km category, there are 35 km and 24 km courses that can also be ridden with electric bikes. These routes are a bit less technically demanding but still offer breathtaking scenery. Participants in these races will also have the chance to compete against top marathon specialists on the 5 km enduro-style segment shared by all categories. The event’s new title sponsor, Le Rucher, will also award a special prize to the best riders from the Val d’Hérens, both on the 35 km and 62 km courses.

The Raid Evolénard FMV program kicks off on Saturday with the Kids Coaching Day—a great opportunity for children to explore the course that will crown the new Romandy and cantonal champions. Among the athletes coaching the youngsters will be Frans Claes, Stefanie Zahno, and Steve Morabito, a former professional road cyclist and now president of Valais Cycling, who actively helped design the new routes.

Registration will be possible in Evolène on Saturday from 4:30 to 6:30pm and on Sunday morning from 7:00 to 8:30.

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Raid Evolénard Route: Back to Normal!

Due to heavy snowfall in mid-April, the course of the Raid Evolénard was severely damaged by numerous fallen trees, making several sections impassable. After several weeks of intense work, the situation is now almost back to normal!

e course. Three route modifications have been implemented to allow runners to preview the full course:

  1. As the dike of the Borgne d’Arolla remains impassable upon reaching Les Haudères, an alternative route has been set up, climbing back toward Arolla.
  2. The section between La Tour and Evolène is still closed. A detour along the dike allows runners to reach Evolène before heading up toward Les Haudères on the right bank of the Borgne.
  3. The descent from La Sage to La Tour is not possible via the usual path. An alternative route via the forest road leading directly to Molignon has been put in place.

All of these modifications are included in the GPX route available on Komoot!

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Raid Evolénard – FMV in the circle of the big ones

The Raid Evolénard won the Valais hydroelectric power plant operator “Les forces Motrices Valaisannes (FMV)” as a new main sponsor and will be called “Raid Evolénard – FMV” in the future. The organizers of the 2021 European Marathon Championships will also be part of the national Bike Marathon Classics race series and will remain part of the Garmin Bike Cup. The next staging of the Raid Evolenard will take place on June 19 in Evolène.

One year after the European Bike Marathon Championships, the organizers of the Raid Evolénard want to continue to offer attractive, high-quality mountain bike races for amateur and elite athletes. With the new title sponsor FMV, the OC team has found the ideal partner for the future.

“As organizers of the Raid Evolénard, we have been able to count on the support of FMV for a decade now. We have now been able to expand this fruitful partnership, which makes us very happy. After all, our organizations stand for the same values such as environmental protection and sustainability. The partnership allows us to continue and develop the race,” explains Stéphane Chevrier, new Co-President of Raid Evolénard – FMV.
Jérôme Bonvin, member of the management of FMV, emphasizes: “If we are guided by our own values, we are ready to make a long-term commitment. We have been supporting the Raid Evolénard for 10 years, and we are impressed every year by their professionalism. The will of the organizers has convinced us not only to grow this event on a sporting level, but also to put it at the service of the development of an entire region. This includes the promotion of a mobility that preserves resources, especially a practice of e-bike sport that is compatible with nature.”

Second stage of the Bike Marathon Classics

The entry into the Bike Marathon Classics, the reference series of the Swiss Bike Marathon sport, will also make the Raid Evolénard better known in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, where four of the six races will be held. Among the best marathon bikers in the country, the Raid Evolénard has already made a name for itself as the organizer of the 2021 European Championships, as well as the 2015 and 2016 Swiss Championships. Numerous bike marathon top riders praised the challenging and panoramic royal route, which leads over 62 kilometers and 2660 meters of altitude.
However, the organizers will also duly celebrate the athletes of the shorter distances. The race is still part of the Garmin Bike Cup.

Hobby athletes can continue to enjoy a more leisurely and sociable race format on the Valdor 24 km course.
In addition, there is a new team race. Here, two riders share the royal course. The highlight will be the final descent on a new section, which was raced for the first time at last year’s European Championships and is now part of the official course.

Children’s races still free of charge

Children can compete on various age-appropriate courses according to their level as part of the Raiffeisen Kids Cup. While the “cadets” start from Evolène, all other children begin their stint in the crowd-pleasing Hérens Arena in Les Haudères, where the finish of all other races is also located. Registration for children up to 15 years of age remains free of charge – and has been for 25 years! This shows the premise of the organizers, whose primary goal is to promote youth sports.

Online registrations are open until June 15. Participants who register by March 30 will benefit from a discount!