SPAR Swiss Epic 2022 – Stage 3: Stage wins for overall leaders

Stage 3 of the 2022 SPAR Swiss Epic, in Graubünden, showcases all three key villages of the Flims Laax Falera region during the 63km loop, picked with 2.200m of climbing. After a rainy night, the weather was way better than expected and the clouds offered a nice scenery for today’s stage. It is a singletrack-filled day of trail exploration below the tree-line that kicks off with The Track, from Falera to Ladir. The route then descends past Ilanz’s Dominican Convent and follows the Rhein downstream in search of an easy crossing of the Rheinschlucht. Climbing then recommences past landmarks like Lake Cauma, as well as the villages of Fidaz and Alp Foppa. The climb to Startgels is gradual, but, sadly, there will be no time for a five-course meal at Ustria Startgels before dropping into the Runca Trail - one of Europe’s longest flow trails and an International Mountain Bicycling Association award winning singletrack to boot. Most of the final 10 kilometers are downhill and more than half of them are on the Runca Trail, meaning that speed and excitement are the final order of the stage before kicking back and relaxing in the race village.

The overall men & women leaders were able to defend their jerseys with another stage win. Wilier Pirelli Factory, the reigning European Marathon Champ Fabian Rabensteiner (ITA) and his partner Daniel Geismayr (GER) are clearly the best team so far. In the women category, Davos Klosters Women, the German pair of Adelheid Morath and Bettina Janas had a battle till the last climb against the second women team of Janina Wüst (SUI) and Deborah Piana (ITA), but showed their strength in the very last uphill and secured there self another stage win.