The Swiss Radquerserie EKZ CrossTour keeps impressing, with urban spring cyclocross races and now a new, sixth stop in Bern and UCI cyclocross World Cup plans. The first edition will take place on Sunday 1 October 2017. At the same time, this will serve as a test for an aspired World Cup in 2018.
The Swiss Radquerserie EKZ CrossTour has a new, sixth station with Bern. The first edition will take place on Sunday 1 October 2017. At the same time, this will serve as a test for an aspired World Cup in 2018.
The cyclocross series EKZ CrossTour, which was launched in 2014 and has since become well-known far beyond the national borders, comes to Berne. The race is the start of something even bigger: From 2018, the Bernese stop of the series will be a World Cup – with the world’s best cyclists and cyclists from 20 countries, with a cumulative television audience of over 57 million and a television time of around 400 hours. It would be the first cycling World Cup in Switzerland since 2010 (Aigle, VD), the first in German-speaking Switzerland since 2005 (Wetzikon, ZH).
Suitable for the positive image of Bern as a sports city
The city of Bern is thus given another sporting highlight in its Sportagenda. Local council Reto Nause welcomes this very much: “The EKZ CrossTour fits the positive image of Bern as a sports city. For us, this is an event with national and international appeal. The city of Bern hopes that the race in Bern will be able to establish itself as a World Cup in the medium term. »
The organizer Christian Rocha is also delighted: «The Berner Radquer offers everything it needs for a long-term success story. The very constructive and supportive cooperation with the city of Berne is of great importance to us. In addition, there is the perfect racing ground and the optimal connection to the public transport network, which is especially important for the spectators. “Rocha also says that he can rely on a highly motivated and competent organization team during the planning stage.
Outdoor swimming pool becomes the arena
The Bern mountain bike and cross-country skier Lukas Flückiger (33) is delighted: “It would be great if a World Cup was held in Berne in 2018. After the radquer boom of recent years, the ECZ CrossTour comes with the World Cup plans just at the right moment. It’s time for the Swiss cross-country to go a step further. Flückiger is Swiss champion of the years 2010 and 2014 and organizer of the named after him Flückiger Cross in Madiswil. He also says: “Not only for me as a professional but especially for the young Swiss cross-country skiers would a home cup be a huge motivation and a great seasonal goal.”
The competition ground is located in the Freibad Weyermannshaus in western Berne. The route around the largest artificial swimming pool in Europe is designed in such a way that the “Weyerli” becomes a unique Radquer Arena for the spectators as well as for the athletes. Start and finish will be on the Stöckackerstrasse, and about ninety percent of the route will lead through the grounds of the open-air swimming pool – so tight and curving and fast and steep that high-quality international cross-country skiing is guaranteed.
Radquer as a social meeting point and an occasion for the whole family
Radquer is one of the most traditional, exciting and varied of the many cycling disciplines, a kind of national sanctuary in Belgium, a boomerang in the USA. Also in Switzerland, Radquer has a long and spectacular history, and after a phase of the standstill, it is again thanks to the ECZ CrossTour again steeply upwards.
But Radquer in Switzerland is not just top sport. Berne will be given particular attention. The event will be from Berne to Berne, will include all cycling groups and bike communities – and will not be simply a sports event, but actually a social event for all. Children’s, junior and broad sports races are as much a part of the international races as an innovative and varied gastronomy with an integrated, small street food festival.
EKZ CrossTour:
The ECZ CrossTour is a Swiss cross-country bike, which has become one of the world’s largest and most important racing series within three years. In the season 2017/2018 the CrossTour consists of the races in Baden (AG), Berne, Aigle (VD), Hittnau (ZH), Eschenbach (SG) and Meilen (ZH).
EKZ CrossTour Bern:
Date: Sunday, 1 October 2017
Place: Freibad Weyermannshaus, 3027 Bern
Duration: 9 am to 4 pm
Organization: Responsible for the event is Christian Rocha, President of EKZ CrossTour and owner of crossroads Event und Kommunikation GmbH. The local organizing committee consists of Rocha, Roland Glaus, René Walker, Peter Basler and Sepp Freiburghaus, Regula Günter, Nina Tschanz, Stephanie Wille and Patrick Günter. In addition, some hundred volunteers will be involved.
Radquer World Cup Berne 2018:
The Organizing Committee is aiming for a World Cup event in 2018. The application will be submitted to the International Cycling Federation UCI this summer. In the event of a World Cup event, the event would be extended to two days so that the concept would continue to be ensured with children’s, junior and wide sports races.
More info: www.ekz-crosstour.ch/Bern
