Schangnau - Eggiwil   

Finally a one day race that is for a pure sprinter in Switzerland. The land of the climbers has been banished as have been all thoughts of an uphill finish here, and despite the small passes that will be present in any race around the Alps, the sprinters should line up for the win.

The race course is just over 66 kilometers from Schangnau to Eggiwill and any breakaway will have to quickly form or else there will be no...

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Finally a one day race that is for a pure sprinter in Switzerland. The land of the climbers has been banished as have been all thoughts of an uphill finish here, and despite the small passes that will be present in any race around the Alps, the sprinters should line up for the win.

The race course is just over 66 kilometers from Schangnau to Eggiwill and any breakaway will have to quickly form or else there will be no breakaway, just a very very quick ride to the finish line. The hamlet of Schangnau is too small for all of the competitors and many stay in nearby villages. The first kilometer sees the riders tackle the small road leading up to the pass of Schangnau. This early slope will be the scene for frantic activity as the teams will try to get a man into the breakaway. This will usually form as the sprinters are unable to chase them up the short slope. The descent off of the 450m climb will see the beginnings of the organisation to reel back in the climbers by the teams of the sprinters. However, on occasion, the foundations of a breakaway victory can be found here as no team is willing to sacrifice their lead out for a small chase back. With no-one chasing, a serious time gap can be created in the opening kilometers. At Oberlangenegg the riders will turn sharp right and head back towards their departure point. They will encounter flat and wide roads for the next 20 kilometers. The short climb after Rothenbach will not trouble either the breakaway or the peloton as they speed over the halfway point, nor will the climb up to Bramer. Both may see further attacks from the front of the peloton from those willing to try their legs from closer to the finish line. After the descent down into Luchsmatt they only have 25 kilometers to ride, yet they are less than five away from their destination. The only detour left is a trip up to the Grosshorbe, their hardest climb of the day at a mere 750m uphill. Here, many attacks will occur and the bunch will split into many different groups, all of whom will be hoping that the peloton cannot chase them down. A large group up front is detrimental to their cause however, as a serious chase will begin by the teams of the sprinters. Once over the summit, they face a spectacular race down the hillside. Anyone who crashes will not see the front of the race again as they hurtle down into the finishing line. Time triallers often have a good chance of nicking the win but as Eggiwil approaches they will be swept up. The sprinters will be lead out and in a flash they will be across the finish line.
The winner will be crowned that afternoon, less than an hour and a half since the dropping of the flag. The average speed is often very high, and despite the short and featureless shape of the race course, the pain will still be obvious to all who took part.