A 24-hour challenge at the Zugerberg Finanz Trophy
Nicolas Lemaitre (left) and Lukas Küng on their 24-hour Trophy adventure on the Zugerberg. The two of them completed 20 ascents, covering 9,000 meters of altitude in one go.
There are all sorts of great performances that you deliver as part of the Trophy. These include those of Nicolas Lemaitre and Lukas Küng. They completed their own personal 24-hour race on the route from Zug to the Zugerberg.
The idea was born sometime at the end of 2023, as Nicolas Lemaitre reports: "I wanted to ride up and down the Zugerberg for 24 hours on my home route from Zug." This time-specific goal then almost called for the myth of an "Everesting". This involves covering a distance with a total altitude difference of 8848 meters, i.e. the height of Mount Everest. Twenty ascents are required for such an Everesting on the Zug-Zugerberg route.
Lukas Küng, who works for the main sponsor of the Tour de Suisse and discovered the Trophy through Lemaitre, immediately shared the enthusiasm for this project. The two planned the realization of their idea for the shortest night. The starting signal was to be given on June 21 at 6 pm. They started the specific training at the beginning of April. Initially, they did four ascents in a row, which already equates to 1800 meters of altitude. Then they increased the volume to five, then eight rides. Finally, on 25 May, they completed twelve rides with a total of 5400 vertical meters.
"Body, mind and equipment were ready ...
only the weather wasn't," says Nicolas Lemaitre. Although they postponed the start until 7 p.m., this did little to change the fact that "we were rained on in the following 24 hours. Due to the heavy rainfall, we were never able to make it all the way downhill." The two fought to the end and finally made it: 9,000 meters of altitude in 24 hours! "And the weather rewarded us with some sunshine on the last ascent. Tired and wet, we had wonderful Trophy memories 24 hours after the start," says Nicolas. The two cycling fans are not planning anything similar for this year: "We don't want to overstretch our family's consideration for the necessary training." Nevertheless, they are excited to start again in dry conditions. After all, how much faster would the twenty climbs be?
If you also want to tackle a - somewhat more moderate - challenge, we recommend taking part in the Ägeriseelauf on Friday, July 19. And of course, the Trophy routes during the summer vacations are also ideal for further running and cycling experiences. The stages in Menzingen end this Sunday, July 14 at 4 pm.
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