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Risi and Betschart win 100-km-Américaine

Bruno Risi (front) and Kurt Betschart cycle to the top in Thursday's race Keystone

The Swiss cycling team pedalled to the top in the 100-km-Américaine of the 49th Zurich six-day cycling race.

After having won the 50-km-Américaine on Monday, Bruno Risi and Kurt Betschart once again pedalled to the top and won the 100-km race on Thursday.

The winning team took the lead after the first half of the race, closely followed by the Australian/Belgium team of Scott McGrory and Matthew Gilmore.

Silvio Martinello and Andreas Kappes, the Italian/German team who won yesterday’s 100-minute-Américaine, were in the leading position until the Swiss cyclists took over.

The Swiss cycling team of Alexander Aeschbach and Franco Marvulli lagged seven rounds behind the winners and finished in 10th place.

The Zurich six-day race takes place in the Hallenstadion in Zurich from November 26 to December 1, with races usually kicking off at 7pm.

The racers cycle on an indoor track over six successive evenings and race in teams of two, which means that only one rider needs to be in the race at any one time.

The rider, who is not racing, circles slowly at the top of the track and waits for his partner to throw him into the race by a hand sling.

The race is won by gaining points in sprints that are held every 20 laps and by gaining laps on the other riders.

swissinfo with agencies

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