Mountain Cup: Two at one stroke

KREBS BECOMES DOUBLE CHAMPION Philipp Krebs didn't have to win in Les Paccots, but he did. Thus, the Bernese not only captured the Mountain Cup, but also the Renault Classic Cup ahead of schedule. Martin Bürki's lack of opponents was his undoing. Even before the start of training in Châtel St-Denis it was clear: The 2019 Mountain Cup goes to Philipp Krebs in the Renault [...]

Editorial - September 19, 2019

Shared joy at the finish line in Les Paccots: Renault Classic Club colleagues celebrate their double champion Philipp Krebs.

Even before the start of training in Châtel St-Denis it was clear: The 2019 Mountain Cup goes to Philipp Krebs in the Renault Clio II Cup. After clutch problems at the Gurnigel, Stephan Burri felt the effort was too great to remove the engine and transmission in his VW Polo just for one hill climb and one slalom (Drognens) in order to install a new clutch. The desired victory in the IS Trophy 2019 could no longer dispute him anyway and the ready medal position in the mountain cup was too little important to him.

Record victory for statistics
As a result, Martin Bürki lacked the fourth opponent in the IS-1600 to receive full points. The same happened to him in Oberhallau in Group E1, whereupon he adapted the VW Polo to the Interswiss regulations and switched to Group IS for the last two hillclimbs.

In retrospect a mistake, but Bürki was looking for the direct fight in the normally well-staffed IS-1600. The Bernese then proved that he is the fastest 1600cc pilot in the country either way by setting a new IS class record, previously held by Burri in Paccots.

Martin Bürki missed one opponent in each of two races. Instead, he holds his own with new class records (Action photos: Ramon Hänggi).

Krebs' sixth win of the season
Nevertheless, Philipp Krebs was reluctant to offer premature congratulations. He preferred to let the stopwatch do the talking again, and it showed best times in all three race heats. As in the previous hill climbs, Michael Schläpfer and Thomas Zürcher put on the pressure, but they were unable to prevent Krebs' sixth win of the season in the Renault Classic Cup (the seventh including the Interlaken slalom).

First title in 17 years
The 57-year-old from Uetendorf, where Martin Bürki, who lives in Sigriswil, also runs a garage, is thus the only one to have scored the maximum points in the Mountain Cup. In addition, he can no longer be caught up in the privately organized Renault Cup at the Ambri slalom, although he did not compete in any circuit races. His first title wins since the Renault Mégane Classic Cup in 2002.

Philipp Krebs: "The whole season was awesome. I was able to show in all weather conditions that I am, pardon, the boss, and this with strong opponents like Tom and Michael. It was also everywhere in the green zone. I weight the mountain cup a bit higher now, because no one from a brand cup has managed this yet. Too bad for Martin - actually there should be two champions..."

In six of his seven hill climbs, Philipp Krebs left his Cup colleagues behind. Only in Les Rangiers did he beat himself, because he couldn't manage two clean runs.

Bürki and Schöpfer on the medal ranks
Krebs is also a worthy champion for the undefeated runner-up.

Martin Bürki: "I was the first to congratulate Philipp. His performance was top-notch, I don't begrudge him that. After all, I still have a good chance of winning the title in the slalom."

Burri's absence meant Stephan Schöpfer unexpectedly but deservedly finished third in the 2019 Mountain Cup, although he also stayed away from the final race. Except for the rain in Anzère, the Lucerne native has won the IS-1400 class with his Audi 50 for years, and in Hemberg and St-Ursanne he improved his own class record.

Jürg Ochsner rode stronger than ever in 2019 and also set a new record time in Les Paccots. Unfortunately, it was not dry everywhere.

Ochsner does not like the wet
Rain also hung over Jürg Ochsner like a sword of Damocles in 2019. Only in the Valais and at Gurnigel did the fast Oberhallau native not decide the IS-2000 in his Opel Kadett in his favor when he was at the start.

An additional second place in addition to the four victories would have brought him the third and not only the fourth place just behind Schöpfer and Burri. All the more he is to be congratulated for the runner-up title in the IS Trophy.

Jonas Magnin from Fribourg would have loved to celebrate his second win of the season after Massongex at his home race. But Sébastien Coquoz had something against it.

Kuster is succeeded by Werthmüller
In the E1 two-liters, Sébastien Coquoz in the Opel Kadett managed another victory one week after Gurnigel. With the exception of Ruedi Fuhrer (4th), however, the strongest German-speaking Swiss were absent. Only three tenths behind, Jonas Magnin in the Honda Civic had to settle for second place.

Joël Werthmüller won similarly narrowly in his Peugeot 106 in the E1-1600 over Gurnigel winner Mitch Kuster in the Alfa Romeo Sprint. His second national class win on the mountain. In 2018, he took advantage of Bürki's defect on the VW Polo in Massongex

Joël Werthmüller had nothing against Bürki's class change. Instead, he had to defeat another strong opponent in Mitch Kuster.

Pfefferlé would be a title candidate
Otherwise, only Alain Pfefferlé in the Porsche 935 Turbo scored a full twenty points. With the 1977 horsepower monster, the man from Valais dominated the Historic group at will, and he would always be far ahead in the IS as well.

His bad luck that Group H did not always consist of five competitors. But the Mountain Cup winner from 1999 to 2001 doesn't care about such titles anymore anyway.