Racer Bikes Cup heads to Granichen

Round four of the Racer Bikes Cup will head to Gränichen, Switzerland, this weekend. As a member of the organizing club, Swiss National Champion Florian Vogel is one of the favorites - he'll be looking for a win at his home race. The women will be keeping their eye on Sabine Spitz, who won last year's event.

Racers will compete on a 5.5km course on the Moortal territory. In recent years, the course has seen few changes, but it features singletrack, steep climbs, fast descents and technical sections.

Vogel's competition will come primarily from his compatriots such as Olympic medallist Nino Schurter won the Solothurn round, last year's third-place finisher Lukas Flückiger, and last year's series winner Martin Gujan. Others on hand will include Fabian Giger, Mathias Flückiger, Marco Arnold, Patrick Gallati and Alexandre Moos. Giuseppe Lamastra will be making the journey from Italy.

Petra Henzi and Swiss champion Kathrin Leumann will do their best to upset Spitz in the women's race, and Marielle Saner-Guinchard and Hanna Klein, Caroline Mani will also head to Swizterland for the race.

In the junior race, local Matthias Stirnemann, the son of junior national coach Beat Stirnemann, was just beaten last year by Matthias Rupp, who this year is racing in the amateurs and masters class.