The Snow Bike Festival of 2016 heats up the ice of Switzerland with a weekend of fat bike racing

This weekend, the Snow Bike Festival is underway in Gstaad, Switzerland, drawing a cross section of riders from throughout the world looking for a little big-wheeled, cold weather adventure.

Considering the discipline itself, the conditions of the competition thus far have been fitting.

The Festival kicked off on a frosty, cold Gstaad Friday morning, with temperatures plunging below zero to about -11 Celsius. As competition was about to kick off, though, the sun broke through a shroud of overcast skies, illuminating the riders’ path through Gstaad, then along the trails paralleling the Saane river en route to Rougemont.

As Marathon cycling Paul Buhler said of the event’s start, “It was a really nice ride. Really good. It was just cold at the start, but then we warmed up quickly, even though there was no sun on the track down to Rougemont.”

“I can confirm that the little airport is the coldest spot in the valley,” he added, noting one of the ride’s waypoints. Other riders, it was noted, confirmed the piercingly cold conditions along the route, with many of the drinking tubes of their hydration packs totally frozen over.

Riders met their first climb of the day just after the turning point in Rougemount, which was later followed by a slight downhill descent. From there, it was a flat straightaway, the terrain ideal for a snow-riding cycling discipline. At that point, beginning the return to the start, competing fat bikers began a climb into the Chalberhoni valley, a phase of the race that rider Daniel Gathof described as tough but more than worthwhile.

“The final stretch was on the road and ski track covered by good compact snow,” he described. “The conditions were excellent but the climb was still very tough.” Johann Tschopp, meanwhile, found himself in his element during that climb, with a reputation as a top climber. Powering through the ascending terrain, his efforts were rewarded with the Land Rover King of the Mountain prize. Behind him, Gathof reached the top of the climb in second place, beating out Thomas Misser—the winner of last year’s first race.

The women’s race was a similarly exciting back-and-forth, ending with Hielke Elferink of Switzerland the current Dutch champion, winning the stage. In second place was compatriot Alba Wunderlin, who persevered to the finish despite a knee injury, while Laura Turpijn of the Netherlands rolled in third. As the first to reach the top of the Eggli climb, Elferink also claimed the Queen of the Mountain prize.

A full list of results and standings can be viewed at snowbikefestival.com/results.