Switzerland 14 Jun 2026 Class 1.1 – 1 day – Class 1
Website www.gippingen.ch
Startlist One Day Race GP Gippingen
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
Result
The 2026 GP Gippingen (officially the Grosser Preis des Kantons Aargau, UCI Category 1.1) in Switzerland delivered an absolute nail-biter of a finish.
Belgian rider Liam Slock (Lotto Intermarché) secured his first career professional victory in spectacular, surreal fashion. After dropping his rivals on the final uphill sprint, Slock began to celebrate early by raising his arms, lost his balance just centimeters before the line, and crashed. Fortunately for him, he and his bike slid right across the finish line on the asphalt to take the win just ahead of a charging Aleksandr Vlasov.
GP Gippingen 2026: Top 10 Results
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | 🇧🇪 Liam Slock | Lotto Intermarché | 4:15:24 |
| 2 | 🇷🇺 Aleksandr Vlasov | Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe | s.t. (same time) |
| 3 | 🇪🇨 Richard Carapaz | EF Education – EasyPost | + 0:01 |
| 4 | 🇧🇪 Thibau Nys | Lidl – Trek | + 0:03 |
| 5 | 🇫🇷 Julian Alaphilippe | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 0:03 |
| 6 | 🇧🇪 Jarno Widar | Lotto Intermarché | + 0:03 |
| 7 | 🇮🇹 Diego Ulissi | XDS Astana Team | + 0:03 |
| 8 | 🇬🇧 Lukas Nerurkar | EF Education – EasyPost | + 0:03 |
| 9 | 🇨🇭 Mauro Schmid | Team Jayco AlUla | + 0:03 |
| 10 | 🇪🇸 Marcel Camprubí | Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 0:03 |
Race Highlights
- The Winning Move: Slock, Vlasov, and Carapaz broke clear of the main field during the final ascent of the Rotberg climb with roughly 12 kilometers to go.
- The Chase: A heavy-hitting chase group of 13 riders—including local favorite Mauro Schmid and veteran Julian Alaphilippe—scrambled to close the gap but crossed the line 3 seconds too late, with Thibau Nys winning the bunch sprint for 4th.
The Luxembourger riders who took the start at the 2026 GP Gippingen (Grosser Preis des Kantons Aargau) finished safely in the main pack after a demanding day of racing in Switzerland.
While they weren’t in the final three-man move contested by Liam Slock, Aleksandr Vlasov, and Richard Carapaz, they crossed the line in the primary finishing groups.
Luxembourger Results at GP Gippingen 2026
| # | Rider | Team | Time |
| 83 | 🇱🇺 Alexandre Kess | Team Lotto Kern-Haus | + 3:08 |
| 84 | 🇱🇺 Mil Morang | Team Lotto Kern-Haus | + 3:08 |
| 85 | 🇱🇺 Noé Ury | Team Storck – MRW Bau | + 3:08 |
Race Summary
The riders from Luxembourg spent the day playing supportive or opportunistic roles for their respective UCI Continental squads. As the WorldTour and ProTeam outfits like Lotto Intermarché, Tudor, and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe turned up the pace on the final ascents of the Rotberg climb, the race split dramatically, leaving the Continental riders to manage the gap and roll across the finish line in the mid-80s bracket.
The Grosser Preis des Kantons Aargau (commonly known as GP Gippingen) is one of Switzerland’s most prestigious and historic one-day professional cycling races. Held annually in the canton of Aargau, centered around the village of Gippingen, the race serves as a crucial tune-up for the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France.
Here is a breakdown of the history, evolution, and defining characteristics of this Swiss cycling classic.
## The Early Years (1964–1970s)
The race was founded in 1964 during a golden era for Swiss cycling. In its infancy, the event quickly gained a reputation for its challenging local circuits and passionate crowds.
- The Inaugural Winner: Italian rider Jan Lauwers took the very first victory in 1964.
- Belgian and Italian Dominance: Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, the race became a battleground for powerhouse classics riders from Belgium and Italy. Legendary Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx won the race in 1973, cementing its status as a top-tier event on the European calendar.
## The Swiss Golden Era
While international riders frequently took the crown, local Swiss riders historically used GP Gippingen to showcase their strength ahead of their national tour.
- Rolf Järmann and Pascal Richard lit up the race in the late 1980s and 1990s.
- The Record Holder: Swiss cycling legend Alexander精密 (Alex) Zülle and later Niki Aebersold kept home fans cheering, but the absolute record for victories is shared by a select few multi-time winners, including Switzerland’s own Urs Freuler.
## The Route and Characteristics
The defining feature of GP Gippingen is its circuit-race format. Rather than a point-to-point route, the race utilizes a grueling local loop repeated multiple times.
- The Rotberg Climb: The centerpiece of the race is the recurring ascent of the Rotberg. While not an alpine giant, scaling this sharp, punchy climb multiple times drains the riders’ legs and inevitably forces the decisive split in the peloton.
- The Finish: The race traditionally concludes with a fast, tactical finish back in Gippingen, often contested by a reduced bunch sprint or a small group of elite breakaway survivors who escaped on the final lap.
## UCI Status and Modern Era
With the restructuring of professional cycling by the International Cycling Union (UCI), GP Gippingen was categorized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.
What is a 1.1 Race? This classification allows the event to invite top-tier UCI WorldTeams (like UAE Team Emirates, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, and EF Education-EasyPost) to compete directly against second-tier ProTeams and local Continental developmental squads.
In the 2010s and 2020s, the race grew to be dominated by versatile sprinters who could climb, and punchy classics specialists (puncheurs). Heavyweight names like Alexander Kristoff (who won back-to-back editions in 2014 and 2015), Sacha Modolo, and Marc Hirschi have added their names to the historic roll of honor.
