Day 10 - HOPE 1000 2021 Race recap and closing of coverage	

Day 9 closing - The sun shines on today’s finishers and the media spotlight celebrates this unforgettable race

Day 9 morning - Two more riders have met with Freddie and the sun is back 

Day 8 closing - Big finishing day for the HOPE 1000’ers and a an intervention with the national guard

Day 8 - Friday night party at Freddie’s 

Day 7 closing - Swiss riders are coming in thick and fast, and Montreux fever is reaching new levels

Day 7 -  Five more welcomed by Mr. Mercury, and conditions are rapidly deteriorating 

Day 6 closing - Two more riders get to rest easy tonight, and social distancing is becoming very easy

Day  6 - Nine riders have made it to the end with more to come throughout the day

Day 5 - Top 3 and 1st female have made it to Freddie, and life is electric in Switzerland

On Monday 28th we reach the final day of the HOPE 1000 2021 race. __Gianluigi Bellantuoni__ is our last additional finisher, who crept in last night to claim a finishing position under the ten day mark. Congratulations!

Trackleaders shows an additional 2 scratches from the race, with __Hansjoerg Reiner__ and __Marcel Renggli__ taking our final #scratchtotal to 22. 

Illustration of just how gruelling the conditions were this year, 22 riders means 25% of those that started at 6am on Saturday 19th June did not make it to the end. The most notable being __Markus Hager__ who was the course leader by a large margin for most of his time on the bike.

__Nicole Scheidigger__ is making progress towards Freddie and with only 40km to go, __Peter__ and __Doris Basler__ have taken a side route and currently stopped in Bulle. __Peter Bullens__ and __Andrea Grubauer__ have passed the 925km mark, and __Peta McSharry__ and __Rolf Moser__ are bringing up the rear with 810km travelled so far. We wish the remaining riders a fantastic last kilometers on the route and celebration with Freddie in Montreux!

As the mud starts to settle on the 2021 edition of HOPE 1000, it is clear it was an exceptional year. Weather was the biggest factor, creating a new level of challenge for riders to live through, and even testing some gear choices to the full.

### Digging deep into the data

Let’s take a look at the data:

![flow chart hope 1000](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2UJKFwzd0xEE4UFxt6ln7o/52e2a605f6ae5387fb0368fbc2ba1f98/Screenshot_2021-06-28_at_15.46.20.png)

__Marin__, __Yoan__, __Philipp__ and __Lael__ were all moving closely together and in sync up until the 500km which is when the split happened - also at the point where the ‘real’ climbing starts. 

The two leaders take their last long break at 530km, and then there is little stopping time after. Marin and Yoan’s lines are tightly interwoven throughout the rest of the race except for a few hours starting at 730km, and the very last moment starting at 980km into the race when Marin was able to pull away as Yoan declared he was toast.

Philipp Stoessel started to take longer breaks as of kilometer 530 slowly falling further behind the leaders. We can assume that fatigue had started to accumulate in combination with the increased gradients and climbing. Yet, he maintained a steady rhythm and secured 3rd place.

Slightly earlier after 500km, we see that Lael starts to take longer breaks, and ultimately isn’t able to catch-up with Philipp after this. However, her sleeping strategy kept her firmly in 4th position for a long time, until 830km where she was joined by Axel Brunner (who took very few long breaks throughout the race) and Manuel Bruegger. It is only in the last 20km that Axel manages to break away and take 4th place overall.

__Lukas__ had 3 regular stops throughout the race, pacing his rest strategy, and it seems to have been beneficial when we compare to his finishing time from last year. In 2021 he was able to shave off roughly 8 hours on last year’s finishing time (despite the weather) and claimed 8th position in 4d 21h 13m.

__Robin__ also had 3 regularly spaced and shorter rest stops, until close to the end, where sleep became the master and he stopped for almost 7 hours. He had enough lead to be able to safely meet Freddie in 10th position inspirte of this 

![table data](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2TdOmzE56omzRND8JqBRNL/9103f55a07f3e0d6486b53ffe688cc96/Screenshot_2021-06-28_at_16.36.37.png)

Looking at rest time and moving time, Marin and Yoan were head and shoulders above the rest of the field - and in both cases Yoan the stronger.

Interestingly, when we compare moving time, average speed, and rest time for the top 10 finishers, Marin does not come out as best in any of the criteria. It appears his secret sauce is a mixture of many things, and not one of these criteria guarantees a win.

### HOPE 1000 highlights

Data only tells half the story though, and this year we had many highlights to keep us hooked to the dots as they moved across Switzerland. Riders relayed tales of hail storms causing bruises, heat-enduced sleep while pushing uphill, mud drenched descents, naked hikers, cows liking riders and a charcoal festival among much else.

The Swiss geography brought many a rider to euphoria, and to expletives linked to Willi’s name as they wrestled even until the final root-ridden descent.

Mechanicals were had, including many a gear shifter, spokes, derailleur hangers, brake pads and tyres that barely made the finish.

We had unofficial participation from Markus’s cute dashboard assistant to a Hungarian rider that found Peter Olah at Grindelwald and decided to join the challenge. 

Food was always present, with the best creation going to __Quinda Verheul__ who invented a dinner of 3Cs: croissant, chips (fries) and chocolate, all on one plate. The biggest food winner though was the unofficial finisher sponsor of the local pizza joint in Montreux who experienced a steady stream of smelly and very hungry riders.

### Thank you
In this peri-covid era, our greatest thanks go to Willi for keeping the spirit of ultra-distance cycling alive with this beautiful race.

Thank you to the all the riders and their trusty steeds who tackled this challenging and incredible course; the Swiss locals for their hospitality; the dotwatchers for sharing information and being part of this exceptional experience with the riders; and to the riders who sent regular updates and images directly to the DotWatcher.cc team.

As many of the riders are now sat (maybe still on a saddle sore or two) in front of their work computers, it must feel like the last 10 days were a dream. We send them back into the normal world with deep congratulations in completing HOPE 1000 2021, and look forward to seeing what 2022 will bring…

HOPE 1000 2021, dotwatcher.cc over and out.


With a beautiful day ahead, the determined riders didn’t waste any time getting down to to the Lake today: __Peter Olah__ finished at lunchtime, and __Joseph Marshal__ (despite having a rough last day) surpassed his effort from last year and had a special welcoming committee in the shape of his family at around 3pm CET this afternoon. Hopefully it wil be the energy boost he needs when he is back at work tomorrow.

__Frederic Beurki__ rolled in at 4.30pm CET, __Christoph Lorenz__ at 6pm, and __Thomas and Ralph Burgner__ an hour later. 

Congratulations to these additional six finishers today! 

__Gianluigi Bellantuoni__ should reach Freddie any minute now, to finish within 9 days after leaving Romanshorn.

__Nicole Scheidigger__ is heading up the next group of Hope 1000 fearless riders, with a little over 100km to go. A finish before the end of play tomorrow could be a possibility as 5th placed female. 

__Pieter Bullens__ and __Andrea Grubauer__ have a roughly 125km and 150km still to pedal through (respectively). Depending on sleeping strategies and motivation for a dip in Lake Geneva, they may make it before end of day tomorrow.

Five other racers are sharing the lanterne rouge. __Doris and Peter Basler__ are at the front of the pack, facing one final 1900m summit and the last 20% of the route. __Rolf Moser__, __Hansjoerg Reiner__ and __Peta McSharry__ have a bit more climbing to do, with 2 summits over 1900m and 250km until they can stop on the banks of the lake.

While some riders are slogging away on the route, members of the early finishers group have started their journey home or onwards. Before leaving, the new course record holder __Marin de Saint Exupery__ had time for a couple of interviews: the first published today in [Le Temps](https://www.letemps.ch/sport/marin-saintexupery-record-discret-dun-cycliste-infatigable) (in french and pay for access); and the second on [Bikepacking.com](https://bikepacking.com/news/marin-de-saint-exupery-hope-1000-record/) (english), by none other than the female record holder and the official race photographer, __Lael__ and __Rue__.

We can celebrate a third day of zero scratches, underscoring the gritting determination of the riders still out there. Hope 1000 2021 edition maintains a #scratchtotal of 20 tonight.

Tomorrow is the final day of coverage of what has been an inspirational and exciting race. See you tomorrow for a race recap and to celebrate the last of the riders still going strong!

Good morning from the penultimate day of the Hope 1000 2021! __Patrick Otto__ made it to Montreux last night around 10.30pm CET, and __Florien Mertens__ got his photo this morning after a very toasty night in a heated train station and an unintentional detour on the last section. Congratulations to both!

__Nicole Scheidigger__ has been enjoying the downhill from Gubi, and keeping company with other adventure riders that happen to cross the Hope 1000 route. 

__Christophe Lürenz__ captured a beautiful sunrise (main photo) and has approximately 90km to go to make it to Montreux. 

__Peter Olah__, __Joseph Marshall__ and __Frederic Beurki__ may not have made it by end of day yesterday as hoped, but with 30km, 50km and 60km left to go (respectively) an ice cream at the lake may be on the cards today. 

The weather is heating up, and the thunderstorm warning has been lifted, setting today up to be a nice Sunday out on the hills for the teaming Hope 1000'ers.


It has been a perfect day for the nine new finishers today, relishing a blue sky view down to Lake Geneva on the final descent: __Ryan Crow__, __Rene Willekes__, __Lisbeth Hofstetter__ (taking 3rd placed female), __Quinda Verheul__, __Alexandru-Lucian Pop__, __Jeff Schmutz__, __Elliott Dixon__, __Nat Will__ and __Christian Reber__ are now all happily the other side of a photo with Freddie.

Despite the conditions this year, __Lisbeth Hofstetter__ came in with the previsional time of 7d 7h 30m (source Trackleaders), 2 hours ahead of her winning time last year. Followed very closely by __Quinda Verheul__ (finishing 4th in the female leaderboard) at 7d08h42m - which is also 45 minutes faster than the winning female time in 2020. A fantastic effort by the top 4 female finishers this year! 

The good weather today meant that riders had the opportunity to celebrate the beautiful scenery around them, and for one (__Florien Mertens__) an enforced 25 minute wait came about thanks to live artillery training on part of the route:

![florien halt](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2WirZnAORnD2wV4MXNRudK/492a553ed00e6304f173afc65edc7afd/Florien_halt.jpg)

Ultra cyclists have been known to take risks, but this one seemed like one to sit out.

__Patrick Otto__ is close to seeing Freddie and could make it in time to celebrate with the winners of the Italy vs Austria game tonight. __Florien Mertens__ has been having a tough day with the heat, as well as the live ammunition on route, but is only 50km from the end. 

__Peter Olah__, __Frederic Buerki__ and __Joseph Marshall__, were aiming for a finish today, and have a little less than 100km to claim a finish. Let's see if they keep pushing through the night to get an early finish tomorrow and enjoy a relaxing Sunday by the lake.

A group of 6 are just behind them, and have rolled over 800km since Saturday 19th, pushing on towards Montreux over the final big summits.

Day 8 is the second day of the race where we have 0 scratched riders, with our __#scratchtotal__ staying at 20. 

Tomorrow is the penultimate day of the race. The weather is set to be good overnight, with a building of heat through to early afternoon, before thunderstorm in the evening. Maybe the prospect of a dip in Lake Geneva will be what is needed for a final push tomorrow.

Freddie Mercury was known for his outlandish parties, and it seems the HOPE 1000 riders had an open invitation to a big one last night. 11 riders joined the festivities from 10.30pm CET until the early hours of this morning: __Mona Stockhecke__ (claiming the title of 2nd female), __Daniel Meyes__, __Brain Barry__, __Kurt-Aurel Stoessel__, __Michael Gantner__, __Franziskus Weissbarth__, organiser __Willi Felix__, __Maximilian Luenert__, __Tom Peacey__ and __Jakub Ondruska__ can all now take a rest and start the food eating marathon.

Eight more riders are within the 100km distance, with __Ryan Crowe__ (who had a spoke issue early-on), __Rene Willekes__ and __Quinda Verheul__ (who is the proud owner of some new brake pads) are the next 3 set to make it to Montreux in time for some Saturday night celebrations.

Bringing up the rear, __Peta McSharry__ and __Rolf Moser__ are starting the first of the 5 big summits. Luck could be on their side with better weather today to be able to enjoy the views from a beautiful part of the world.

__Nicole Scheidegger__ has just made it over her namesake Kleine and Grosse Scheidegg, with 3 remaining big summits to go. __Andrea Graubenauer__ is just behind her after a rest day, and __Peter Buillen__ a little in front on the next climb, making up team Grindelwald.

Pedalling in front of the Grindelwald group, __Christophe Lorenz__ and __Hansjoerg Reiner__ still have one final 1900m+ summit to make before they reach the final section to Montreux.

Despite a small respite from the rain yesterday, the ground is still slippery. Leaving many riders (in the words of Freddy Mercury) with *mud on your face*, or in __Nat Will__’s case, toe to knee:

![Nat Will Mud](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/ipGCEMwX8aOLi8hniCUPW/747c36036986431cbe0faf0bb342b3ca/nat_will_mud.jpg)

Whether it is the drier weather, two big Euros matches tonight, or just cumulative saddle sores, the riders are really showing motivation to check in with Freddie soon. All making for a fun weekend of dotwatching.


Today saw three more finishers, all from the host country, make it to Lake Geneva since this morning’s update:  __Dieter Stoessel__, __Pascal Tay__ and __Francesco Corona__ are kicking back in Montreux, while we wait to see if the 2nd place woman __Mona Stockhecke__ will make it in before the end of day. With only 15km left, it is definitely possible.

Quite a few of the riders retired to hotels last night, as the weather was just a bit too much. Tonight promises to be drier but much colder for the 39 riders pedalling their way to the finish. __Andrea Grubauer__ has already decided to take a rest day in Grindelwald today, and will get going again tomorrow with fresh legs.

In contrast, __Elliot Dixon__ is not stopping and has committed to riding through the night to get a photo with Freddie. Tackleaders tells us he has 150km to go, but his tracker has not synced for nearly 2 hours, so it's anyone's guess as to whether he will need a flash or not for the photo.

__Maximillian Lünert__ had a brake failure yesterday. Happily he was able to make it to a bike mechanic in Zweisimmen today to get it fixed, and is gunning to try and get to the end before 12am Sunday. He is currently 30km behind the organiser __Willi Felix__, with 90km remaining.

It seems that Montreux fever is escalating throughout the pack, as rumours travel up the HOPE 1000 rider train that __Peter Olah__ and __Frederic Buerki__ are going to try and cover the remaining 8000m climb and 200km in the next 26 hours to reach the end by tomorrow night. Bonne chance les gars!

__Nat Will__ may not be in such a hurry, and has been making friends with some locals along the route who were enjoying the better weather today:

![Nats new friends](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4R6tHIaVwh6rciOYQ9OTK4/f30295b816515ef1cb8a5a51ab510b6a/mats_new_friends_.jpg)

__Lisbeth Hofstetter__ has been having a blast over the last 24 hours and has cruised her way up the rider list and is now the 4th placed woman with only 100km to go. Lisbeth’s tracker also has not synced for nearly 3 hours, meaning she may be closer than we can see, but is currently just behind __Quinda Verheul__.

Quinda has had a rollercoaster of a day, after being complimented as ‘an animal’ on the course from the organiser Willi Felix who had been chasing her since the start, to a disc brake holder malfunction and a drop in the rankings. The kind people at Hope tech have left a spare set out on the porch for her to pick up as she passes by, and hopefully her mood will pick up with it also to complete the last 90km.

### Daily Scratch

__Heinz Zeug__ has been troubled by gastrointestinal issues, making for an early exit from the race. We wish him a speedy recovery. __Juerg Krebs__ is also calling it a day from the HOPE 1000 2021 edition. With these 2 additional scratches, we have now reached a __#scratchcount__ of 20.

As we prepare for a cosy friday night, 15 riders are down to the last 100km. The weekend promises a steady stream of bedraggled, but happy, riders ready to celebrate their finish, striking a pose with Freddie.

Today marks one full week since a gaggle of riders left the tranquility of Lake Constance, and it's not just the mechanical parts of the bike that are starting to feel worn out.

Five more riders are now relaxing off the bike at Montreux since last night's report: __Philipp Leuchinger__, __Thomas Quirk__, __Florien Stalder__, __Maxime Besacier__ and __Stefan Kohler__ cemented their arrival between the hours of 11pm CET Thursday, and 4am CET today. Congratulations to the group on all finishing under 6 days!

A correction from yesterday's post: __Mona Stockhecke__ is the 2nd placed female still out in the field, and is down to only 120km to go with all the big summits behind her. Keep your eyes on her dot to see if she can make it to Freddie today and come in under 7 days. 

__Quinda Verheul__ is  the 3rd placed female of the race currently just north of Gstaad and only a couple of ‘gentle’ swiss climbs between her and Lake Geneva.

__Lisbeth Hofstetter__, who is not only last year's 1st placed female but also one of the oldest riders at 63, is still cracking through the route with just over 200km to go. Considering the conditions this year, it looks unlikely she will beat her 2020 finish time of 7d 9h 24m.

The early finishers have the advantage of getting to a comfy bed sooner, and also have missed the effects of the many days of rain now showing up. Reports are coming in of trails being as slippery as peanut butter (chunky version we assume) and even small landslides showing up at Därligen on Lake Thunn:

![landslide](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5FvvKyhQnvztygHZJedEsV/348bd7a47ba690d0731807af3f8a80e6/roadslide.jpg)

Stay safe out there riders!


Almost 1 week after leaving Romanshorn, the riders have endured another tough day, courtesy of not only the terrain but also continued extreme weather. The thunderstorm that passed through late last night took out power to some parts of Switzerland, including from where the organiser team is located. __Tom Peacey__ captured the aftermath of the hailstorm yesterday:

![hailstorm](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1VHMvd9xcMm0Iq7B59DOcm/70031e56eff891218ef626ab91086b3c/tom-paecy-hail.jpeg)

Despite the challenging conditions, 2 more riders made it to Freddie for a photo op: __Robin Gauderon__ (10th place) just after lunch, and __Daniel Steinbrugger__ (11th place) at around 8pm CET. __Philipp Leuchinger__ is set to meet Freddie any minute now, and __Thomas Quirk__ might squeeze in before the clock strikes midnight.

### Getting cosy with the locals
Those that are staying out tonight will be facing some chilly temperatures. The racers may need to pull on past inspiration for shelter such as chapels, woodwork studios, hotel construction sites, mountain huts and wooden benches - all of which have been popular venues throughout this year’s race.

An alternative is to make friends with the local fauna to share warmth and shelter tonight. The electrolytes available on a HOPE 1000 cyclist’s jacket seem to be quite sought after as documented by __Florien Martens__, so I am sure the cows won't mind the company:

![florien cow lick](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/77wMSGFt08jBLhq0Qog0Yt/26989be4b960855bb3f4ddeaeca6a5bd/Florien_cow_lock_.jpg)

However, if cows are not really your bag, you may be as lucky as __Peta McSharry__ to happen upon a hotel that is having a slow week, and have the entire dining room to yourself and fellow riders for a very swiss chic night.

![swiss dining](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3JzeyqgVzyb9M4JDwNR8Ur/756e4b944576b4f13b4e3bc6d156862b/ho__tel_dining.jpeg)

### Did someone order the cheese plate?
As we come to the close of day 6, hygiene is now becoming a very pungent topic. __Manuel Gantner__ was with __Mona Stockhecke__ and __Daniel Meyes__ when they decided to sleep out the storm outside a cheese hut in Suldtal. He was unsure if the delicate aroma in the air was coming from inside the hut or the outside.

__Brain Barry__ was also given some ‘constructive feedback’ from the local gas station, asking him to remove his shoes before entering. There is a strong probability that they regretted that request immediately after. Meanwhile, __Willi Felix__ is trying to keep the bacteria at bay by doing some eco-friendly laundry drying on Latrejefeld. 

![photo willi](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3CHXpuCe6yY13iZKNeFoPV/9f325e972c5e9cd08dcb8f83a465e813/willi_latjrefeld.jpeg)

Failing to plan is planning to fail, as they say, and __Nicole Scheidegger__ planned for fresh clothes at the Finsterwald depot and is very happy with how her plan worked out.

### Daily Scratch
There was only one scratch today as __Stephan Hasler__ had to retire from the event, bringing the total #scratchcount to 18.

All riders are now over the half way mark, with 7 into the last 100km, and 11 more with less than 200km to go, including the 2nd placed female __Quinda Veheul__. We should see a steady stream of riders coming to greet Freddie over the weekend. Let’s hope they have solved the hygiene issue before it impacts the Swiss tourism industry in Montreux.


__Manuel Breugger__ (6th place) gave a big push last night and (according to trackleaders) managed to make it to the finishing statue before midnight. __Daniel Bringold__ (7th place) was close behind coming to a final stop around 12.30am CET this morning. __Lukas Franciszkiewicz__ (8th place) kept moving through the night over the last climb to reach Montreux just before 4am CET.

As the sun rose, and riders started moving again, __Simon Boury__ (9th place) attacked the rest of the final climb, and descended down to Lake Geneva to arrive just in time for a spot of brunch around 10am CET. Hopefully he managed to get some more Alpenkäser that he has enjoying  during the race.

__Robin Gauderon__ woke up early to keep moving and make the most of the early light. Robin has only 25km to go and is pushing hard with a significant gap in front of the next rider, __Daniel Steingruber__. All going well, Robin is set to come in as the last one in the top 10.

Following a night’s rest after being out on the course for 4d 13h 28m, __Lael Wilcox__ shared some thoughts about her race on her instagram today. This year saw her sleeping more, which may have contributed to her feeling strong on the climbs, but the wet trails and tyre choice meant for a slow downward trajectory. When downwards is almost half of the race, it would have been difficult to come in under her own record. 

Gear choice is difficult this year, with the weather throwing everything at the brave riders. Resourcefulness is a common trait amongst endurance riders: Lael resorted to using topo design accessory bags for gloves to get down the last descent in freezing conditions, and __Quinda Verheul__ has acquired some pink marigolds to protect her hands form the Swiss moisture.

![quinda gloves](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6G1O6HIeS65wLlfFiiK5jc/e7668c1a2610b4d8f13ed10d68c052ba/Quinda_gloves_.jpg)

Rider gear has been varied, as much as the bike choices. While many riders have been traversing Switzerland on a light hardtail mountain bike, __Peta McSharry__ has been riding on a gravel bike with drop bars, and __Christian Reber__ has been riding a rigid Trek bike. Rigid was also the choice for __Simon Boury__ who finished in 9th place. On the back of Liam Glen’s win of the HT550 on a rigid singlespeed, maybe suspension is no longer a guarantee of speed with the weight it also brings to the equation?

__Alexandru-Lucian Pop__ managed to find the musical swiss villager earlier this week, who cheers all the riders on with either his trumpet or Alpine horn - and a warm smile:

![alex music](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7lVNVaf2SMSYc1ZDgI6twb/95b4946a2f7560a74040542f50163ea6/Alex_music_.jpg)

Day 6 is forecast with rain (again) and thunderstorms across Switzerland, making the already wet trails even more so.  As the HOPE 1000 caravan snakes closer to Montreux, we wait to see who will celebrate with the other finishers and Freddie today, and enjoy a warm dry bed for the night.


*(All times are sourced from Trackleaders, and not final. They will be confirmed by the organisation after WIlli’s own photo with Freddie.)*

And the 3rd placed rider has checked-in with Freddie on the shores of Lake Geneva. Congratulations to __Philipp Stoessel__ who was the first to reach the finishing statue today with a time of 4d 11h 23m. 

![top 3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3V8MXCRGpBw2dfi0nJthxy/805398780afb8480ecc52638b6d62ee1/top_3.jpeg)
*(photo by Rugile Kaladyte @rugilekaladyte)*

Not much later __Axel Brenner__ joined him, after finding a source of energy to overtake Lael in the final stretches of the race, logging 4d 12h 52m.

The first placed female, __Lael Wilcox__, also met with Freddie today at approx 6.45pm CET, after a great ride of 4d 14h 00m.

__Manuel Bruegger__ and __Daniel Brindgold__ have approximately 25km and 30km (respectively) left of the route - there is a chance they could make it to the end before they turn into pumpkins at midnight.

All riders are now into the 2nd half of the race, and are reveling in the beauty of Switzerland, as well as the challenging terrain. __Natt Will__ was euphoric after completing a gnarly descent that launched him into an enchanting swiss village. In Switzerland, the emotional highs are as high as their mountains.

Grindelwald has been under a constant siege of hungry cyclists as many of the riders pass through the centre of the course emptying the bakeries on route. I hope the locals managed to get their pastries beforehand.

A mechanical issue with the gear shifter for __Heinz Zaugg__ has meant an early rest in Grindelwald today, hoping that it sorts itself out for a continued onward journey tomorrow. 

A theory was put forward by __Florian Mertens__ that it would be possible to wrap around the earth 43 times all the electric fencing in Switzerland. A quick google search did not show any figures to contest this, however __Quinda Verheul__ suggested a good use of the electric fence for any sleep deprived racer - just grab one when you are feeling drowsy.

__Doris Basler__ managed to capture the ‘joy’ of her partner __Peter Basler__ pushing up a typically steep ascent.

![peter ascent](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7HC236Uh3vcFzpNdhxhXSP/bac5bcfe104c10082dfd4463a2b5fb02/peter_ascent.jpeg)

Day 5 is the first day with no scratches from the field, maintaining our __#scratchcount__ at 17.

The rider trian is making its way fast and furious to Montreaux, and we can expect to wake up to some more bouncing dots tomorrow morning! 


The 7th edition of the HOPE 1000 will roll out from the Swiss shores of Lake Constance, snaking 87 riders to meet with Freddy at the finish line in Montreux.  The route remains largely unchanged, despite persistent snowfields on the high ground, and Covid has meant a local line up with 54% of riders from Switzerland. HOPE 1000 2021 is going to be full of surprises no doubt!

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