After six tough days from the French Alps to the Italian Riviera, Gustav finished the race in 2nd place. Severe stomach problems and a heavy crash on the final day didn’t make it easy for him to fight for first place, but our Swiss team member still pulled it off.
“10,000 metres of climbing and more than 20,000 metres of descending in just 6 days were on the programme. A huge challenge for rider and machine. That’s why we’re grateful to have such great partners at our side who made this race and the podium possible. A special, huge THANK YOU goes to CUBE, who have had my back for more than 10 years – the work they put into a bike like this is remarkable.”
Gustav proved his consistency in a field of 100 riders over several days, on many different tracks and in all conditions – and that’s what counts in this sport and at this level.
Thanks so much for reading.
Gusti and team 🙂
Day 5
At the start of day five, the riders had to push their bikes for more than 4 hours to reach the top of the first stage, but afterwards they were rewarded with a trail dropping 1,100 metres. Straight after this stage, another 700-metre descent awaited the riders. Just before the final stage of the day, they faced a very long transfer – but on this transfer they caught their first glimpse of the sea in this race. At the end of the last stage, after 11 hours in the saddle, all the riders met up at their camp in Dolceaqua and enjoyed the final evening.
“Our Shimano XTR brakes are still in top shape even after more than 20,000 metres of descending over the past few days. Their bite point stays consistent on the never-ending trails, in rough terrain and in high temperatures, which is a huge advantage, especially on race day. It’s a pleasure to ride with such a great brake.” – Gustav Wildhaber. Tomorrow the final day of the Stonekingrally begins, and the finish line awaits the riders on the beach.
Day 4
Day 3
Day three is done and the times are in.
Gustav managed to take the day’s win by two hundredths of a second. That puts him second overall after day three. The first half of the rally is now complete, but three gruelling days still lie ahead.
Gustav has been riding for Fox for several years, and for this long and demanding “blind race” he made a few small tweaks to his shock and fork.
When racing in high-alpine terrain, he runs less pressure in the shock to raise the front end slightly, which gives him more confidence over unexpected holes and rocks. On the fork, a few extra clicks of low-speed compression also help keep the bars higher.
In second place, just 30 seconds behind the leader, Gustav is still hunting for the top spot after day three. Nothing is decided yet, which keeps the race exciting right to the very end.
Day 2
Day two of the Stonekingralley is done – it was a tough day with almost 80 km of riding, eleven hours in the saddle and more than 2,000 metres of climbing.
“By the end of the day, we’d racked up a total of 4,800 metres of descending. Those numbers sound like a lot of fun – and we definitely had it.” – Claus
Tyre choice and air pressure are crucial in high-alpine terrain and on long descents. “I chose the Magic Marry up front and the Big Betty at the rear, at 1.3 and 1.6 bar, without inserts. I haven’t had a single flat this season, which is remarkable compared to previous races. The tyres offer endless grip and less rolling resistance, which gives me confidence so I can focus purely on my runs.” – Gustav
Gustav finished second overall today – let’s see how tomorrow goes.
Stonekingrally - Day 1
“Four stages were planned for today, and at 7:30 our first shuttle headed up the mountain. After the shuttle, we had to tackle 800 metres of climbing under our own steam. Just as we were about to set off after lunch, a violent thunderstorm with a heavy hailstorm rolled in. As a result, the fourth stage of the day was cancelled and we had to ride over the Col Agnel Pass (2,744 m) to Camp 1.” – Claus
At the end of the day, Gustav crossed the line in 3rd place (overall standings).
The Stonekingrally is raced blind, which means the riders don’t know the course in advance, unlike the usual practice at the Enduro World Series.
For navigation, the team uses the new Edge 1040, which features solar charging. Despite the bad weather, the battery level stayed constant throughout.
Actionblog
28 June – 3 July 2022
We’re ready for six days of action! Ready to race!
