José Hermida (Multivan Merida Biking Team) flatted(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Manuel Fumic and Jose Antonio Hermida show off their beards(Image credit: Armin Küstenbrück)
World champion Jose Antonio Hermida (Multivan Merida) will be the man to beat at this weekend's Racer Bikes Cup in Engelberg, Switzerland. It will be round five of the Swiss national series.
Last year's winner Martin Fanger and Lukas Flückiger, Patrick Gallati and Moritz Milatz are expected to challenge Hermida, who will be making his first Swiss Racer Bikes Cup appearance of the year. Fanger's 2010 victory in Engelberg came in tough conditions while Milatz is fresh off a victory in the German national championships last weekend.
Among the women, Lisi Osl, Swiss champion Esther Suss and European champion Katherine Leumann are expected to battle for victory. Osl won the Racer Bikes Cup rounds in Schaan and Lugano/Tesserete while Leumann won this race two years ago and was third last year. She is fresh off victory at the AlpenTour Trophy in Schladming. Suss will be racing for the first time in Engelberg. Finally, Sarah Koba is another woman to watch. She made the podium last weekend in Gränichen and is leading the series.
"I'm happy about this route and apart from the weather, I have the best memories from last year," said Koba, who finished fourth in 2010.
The elite and junior men and women will race on Sunday, June 12.
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