Grand Raid battled up and down the Swiss Alps
The Swiss Grand Raid, one of the world's most demanding mountain bike races, turned 20 years old this year but it seems to be getting only more fit with age.
Michel Seppey, chairman of the race, told swissinfo.ch that thousands of competitors on Saturday had to grind their way up and down a searing 5,430 vertical metres of spectacular terrain along some of the toughest paths through the Alps.
The race from Verbier to Grimentz in the southern canton of Valais involves 121km of intense rocky trails and requires extraordinary logistics to ensure safety and support for the 3,500 racers ready to tackle the unforgiving terrain.
In 1990 Seppey was already a member of the race’s organising committee. He explains how high-performance bikes have changed the nature of the race, why doping isn’t worth it and what the future holds for the classic event.
swissinfo.ch: Where did this rather crazy idea come from to organise a mountain bike race of more than 120km through the Alps?
Michel Seppey: It was the brainchild of a group of friends who wanted to recreate the Patrouille des Glaciers (one of the biggest ski-mountaineering races in Europe) as a mountain biking race. But we soon realised that it would not be possible to do this course in a day. So we opted for a shorter course that runs in the opposite direction, from Verbier to Grimentz.
swissinfo.ch: What are your memories of the first race?
M.S.: We were expecting 300 competitors and 700 showed up. Despite all our preparations, it was still a bit of a leap into the unknown. Twenty years ago, mountain biking was very much in its infancy and riders were barely tolerated on trails meant for hikers. So we had to make racers carry their bikes through certain sections.
swissinfo.ch: Do you feel you are one of the pioneers of mountain biking?
M.S.: Definitely. It is not for nothing that the Grand Raid is nicknamed “the mother of marathon races”. To bring hundreds of competitors into mountains that are completely inaccessible by road was a formidable challenge at the time. It required phenomenal logistics – and it still does. But since the very beginning the event’s success has been mainly down to our 1,200 volunteers. Twenty years on, 90 per cent of them are still volunteering.
swissinfo.ch: What are the main changes you have seen over 20 years?
M.S.: In terms of safety, we can intervene much more quickly than in the past. Communications have been completely revolutionised. For years we had to set up a major radio communication system. Today, almost everyone has a cell phone. Often, a competitor in trouble calls and even gives us his precise GPS position.
As for the bikes people use, they have little in common with those of 20 years ago. The first competitors did the course on steel bikes without suspension and without disc brakes. The path was less well-used, and many sections were totally wild. It took a lot more effort and the credit was all the greater.
swissinfo.ch: Is there this same spirit of adventure 20 years on?
M.S.: The Grand Raid has naturally grown a lot and we need to make an effort to stop it becoming boring. In the next few years we will work on making significant changes to the route as well as spicing it up a bit. We’ve found that many competitors do not return after a few races.
swissinfo.ch: There has indeed been a drop in the number of participants in recent years. Is the future of the Grand Raid threatened?
M.S.: Having to turn nearly 1,800 people back in 2005 because of snowfall on the Pas de Lona, one of the key passages of the race, is something that has not been forgotten. Competitors are now signing up at the last minute, depending on the weather but also their fitness. That makes it more difficult for us to keep to our budget.
At the moment, competitors pay SFr100 ($94) to register, which covers one-third of the actual costs of participation. This amount will have to be increased in the future. And then, a number of other mountain bike races have been established over the past 10-15 years, particularly in German-speaking Switzerland. That has a certain negative impact on the number of entries in the Grand Raid.
Now each region has its own race. But the ski areas which the Grand Raid passes through have reiterated their support, because this international event is a great showcase for tourism as far as they are concerned. We will make every effort to ensure the future of the event.
swissinfo.ch: In 2006, the winner of the Grand Raid, Daniel Paradis, hit the headlines after he refused to submit to a doping test. Do you take the problem of amateurs doping seriously?
M.S.: The Swiss anti-doping authorities came several times to make unannounced checks at the Grand Raid. We fully support such efforts. However, I find it difficult to believe that amateurs use illegal products to improve their performance.
The winner receives a modest purse of SFr3,000. People come for the pride of participating in a classic race and not for greed. No prize in my opinion would justify doping and the risk of being ostracized by the mountain biking community. But we are not immune to nasty surprises that could soon tarnish the reputation of an event like ours.
Samuel Jaberg, swissinfo.ch (Translated from French by Tim Neville)
Men: 1. Alexandre Moos (Miège) 6:5:04 (course record)
2. Roger Beuchat (Glovelier) 16:26 behind
3. Frédéric Frech (France) 21:22 behind
Women: 1. Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Collombey) 7:24:10
2. Miriam Saugy (Nyon) 22:55 behind
3. Andrea Kuster (Davos) 35:50 behind
20: The number of races held up till now.
3,500: Number of competitors signed up for the 2009 race.
15: Number of aid stations, where close to 1,200 volunteers offer technical and medical assistance.
22: Countries represented at the starting line, which makes it the most international sporting event in Switzerland.
6:17:16: Men’s course record, set by Francais Thomas Dietsch en 2007.
7:29:54: Women’s course record, set by Andrea Huser in 2004,
1 million: Event budget, in Swiss francs, of which a third is covered by registration fees.
Whether on foot, by ski or by bike, mountain races in Switzerland have multiplied over the last few years. Each summer, tens of thousands of amateurs race through the Swiss Alps.
Among the oldest and well known foot races is the Sierre-Zinal, which has just celebrated its 36th edition. Other successful races include the Swiss Alpine Marathon (24 races), the Jungfrau marathon (17 races) and the Zermatt marathon (nine races).
As for mountain bike races, the Grand Raid holds the longevity award (20 races) as well as the one for the greatest number of participants. But many other races, like the National Park Bike-Marathon (eight races) have emerged over the last few years.
The Patrouille des Glaciers, organised every two years by the Swiss Army since 1943, is the biggest ski-mountaineering race in the country.
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