Flückiger wins Engelberg Swiss Racer Bikes Cup

Lukas Flückiger defeated reigning world champion Jose Antonio Hermida from Spain, and last year's World Cup winner Elisabeth Osl won round five of the Swiss Racer Bikes Cup in Engelberg on Sunday. While the men's race was decided relatively early on, the women's race came down to the last lap.

The women's contest finished with an exciting three-way sprint between Elisabeth Osl (Ghost Factory Racing Team), Katrin Leumann (Ghost Factory Racing Team) and Esther Süss (Wheeler-IXS Pro Team).  They finished in that order.

In the men's race, a group including Flückiger (Trek World racing), Hermida (Multivan Merida), last year's winner Martin Fanger (Giant Swiss SR-Suntour), Balz Weber (BMC) and Jérémy Hugenin (Giant Swiss SR-Suntour) got away at the start.

Flückiger attacked on the fourth lap and only Fanger could follow as Hermida lost touch with the leading duo. Flückiger got away on his own after Fanger suffered a mechanical. Fanger managed to save second place despite a strong last lap by Hermida and Weber, who moved up into third. Hermida hung on for fourth while Huguenin was fifth and the best U23 racer.

"Today I had good legs and I could ride at a high speed without trying," said a visibly at ease Flückiger at the finish.

Hermida has the opposite experience. "The race was mega hard and the pace was too high for me. too laps before the end, my batteries were empty and Flückiger was unbeatable," said Hermida.

Lars Forster (Tower Sports-VC Eschenbach) won the junior men's race ahead of Tobias Spescha (Imholz Bike Racing) and Yannik Brischle (JB Felt Team). Forster overtook Spescha in the final lap for the win.

Jolanda Neff (Wheeler IXS Swiss Team) won the junior women's race ahead of Johanna Techt (Ghost Factory Racing Team) and Linda Indergand (MTB Kader Zentralschweiz/IG RS Uri).

In two weeks, round six of the Swiss Racer Bikes Cup will happen in Churchill. Men's overall leader Nino Schurter and Florian Vogel will be back in action then after a break from racing.

Results