A member of the Swiss League squad since  2019 the forward is adding two additional seasons with them dieBildmanufaktur.ch Eliot Bernazzi is staying true to his colours. A member of HC Sierre's youth department for most of his junior time the forward debuted in the Swiss League in 2019 Another one was announced today - Bernazzi will stay with Sierre until 2027 the 23-year-old has suited up 217 times in the Swiss League Kilian Jornet won the iconic Sierre-Zinal race for a record tenth time in the most dramatic style possible as he held off last year’s winner Philemon Kiriago in a race for the ages by less than two seconds – and beat his own course best by just a second Rarely has the 37-year-old GOAT been tested in this fashion in the 31km showpiece in the Valais Alps in Switzerland Kenya’s Kiriago flew past him on the descent with just over 2km to go only for the Spanish legend to put on the after-burners and power back into the lead soon after Still it wasn’t over though as Kiriago put in a desperate late burst and was 1.5 seconds behind at the line On ITRA rankings – or pretty much any other metric – this was the most competitive ever men’s race at Sierre-Zinal – and it had the finish to match Something sensational was also happening in the women’s race as Joyline Chepngeno won on what was her first-ever trail race – and after losing 30kg to get into race shape. Read all about that here But back to the men’s and Patrick Kipngeno took third who had overtaken Jornet for the lead in the first half of the race was just over six minutes adrift in fourth Read on to find out how it all played out… The searing temperatures – it 26°C at the start at 11:00am local time – were going to be a test for everyone in what was the latest stop on both the Golden Trail World Series and WMRA World Cup But things went to the script on the first brutal climb as Jornet pushed clear of the field He was first to the opening checkpoint after 7km of virtually continuous climbing but when the gradients levelled out he found himself in the relatively unusual position of being overtaken as Kiprotich cruised past Kiprotich then started to put time between himself and the rest – Jornet was 15 seconds back at the second checkpoint of Chandolin 33 seconds at the next one and it then went out to what proved a high of 45 seconds In behind Switzerland’s Rémi Bonnet was running alongside Kipngeno in third and fourth – just over two minutes behind – with Kiriago over three minutes back in fifth Jornet calmly closed in on Kiprotich and they were briefly shoulder to shoulder before the GOAT eased clear It looked game over at that point given the climbing was over and Jornet is pretty much untouchable going downhill – and at Sierre-Zinal for that matter But both Kipngeno and Kiriago were rapidly making up ground on Kiprotich moved past him and then locked sights on Jornet Kiriago launched a blistering downhill attack that even the camera bike could barely keep up with And with just over 2km remaining he had caught Jornet and wasted little time in surging to the front If he was shellshocked then Jornet didn’t show it as he flew down the more technical section which came soon after and delivered an absolute masterclass of descending that was thrilling to watch It took him back into the lead and surely on the way to victory but even then there was more drama to come For Kiriago closed in sight of the line as both men sprinted for glory and just 1.5 seconds separated them on the line after 31km Kilian also broke his own course record with 2:25:34 compared to 2:25:35 from 2019 The Omega European Masters is the next stop on the DP World Tour The Omega European Masters is the second Ryder Cup qualification series event following the British Masters. The biennial tournament may be over a year away, but several players will be eyeing the chance to get some points on the board this week and give themselves a chance of making it to Bethpage Black and Zurich Zumikon all took turns in hosting the competition Crans-sur-Sierre hosted the Swiss Open in 1939 and from 1948 – the first edition after the Second World War – became the permanent host producing an illustrious roll call of winners including Seve Ballesteros Omega has been the title sponsor since 2001 and the tournament has flourished over the previous two decades. Last year, Ludvig Aberg won his maiden DPWT title with a two-stroke victory over fellow Swede Alexander Bjork in the mountains Crans-sur-Sierre is situated in the heart of the Swiss Alps and offers a picturesque setting for the players in the field this week There are stunning views across the 18-hole Seve Ballesteros championship course 6,890-yard track has excellent views of both Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn The course was renovated during the 90s before further remodeling occurred this last decade As per the BMW Championship on the PGA Tour the altitude of Crans-sur-Sierre will give the players an extra boost in yardage The format of the Omega European Masters is a standard strokeplay event played over 72 holes with a cut after 36 holes (two rounds) The player with the lowest score over four rounds will win the tournament Two major champions – Francesco Molinari and Matt Fitzpatrick – are on the entry list for the Omega European Masters with the latter failing to reach the Tour Championship finale at East Lake The 2022 US Open champion will be going in search of a third title after back-to-back wins in 2017 and 2018 The Hojgaard twins, Rasmus and Nicolai, are in the field too, as are former runners-up Matt Wallace and Alexander Bjork. The full field for the Omega European Masters can be found here The prize fund for the 2024 edition has risen from $2.5m last year to $3.25m with the winner set to take home over $500k Viewers in the UK can watch all four days of the tournament on Sky Sports Golf Viewers in the US can watch the tournament via the Golf Channel Tee times and groupings for the Omega European Masters can be found here Ross Kilvington is a freelance writer from Scotland who currently writes previews for Today's Golfer PGA and LPGA tours along with the LIV Golf Series By Ross Kilvington After a mixed start to the season, with an injury-forced withdrawal in Japan and a fourth place finish in China, Philemon Kiriago is back in the Golden Trail World Series at Sierre-Zinal on Saturday And as the 2023 winner, he knows much will be expected of him against another stellar line up for the 2024 edition – it includes nine-time champion Kilian Jornet as well as Kiriago’s fellow Kenyan star Patrick Kipngeno Reflecting first on last year’s triumph when speaking to GTWS’ Mickaël Mussard earlier this week Kiriago said: “That race was fantastic I didn’t expect to win at all… For me I felt quite confident because I was still well-placed and knew we were approaching a section that suited me well It means a lot to me to be the very first Kenyan to win this race Asked why he didn’t expect to win the race he explained: “Patrick [Kipngeno] was much stronger than me the goal was to finish in the top five after leading in the first part and I was able to win the race in the end.” Did this ‘team’ race strategy help him The goal was for him to chase victory with the record he told me he wasn’t comfortable with the pace… He turned to me and said I should try to push and win on my own Philemon started out on the Asia leg at the start of the Golden Trail World Series – the Kobe Trail in Japan and the Four Sisters Mountain race in China I twisted my ankle during the race in Japan and had to drop out I managed to finish fourth a week later in China I was able to return to Kenya to recover at the training camp I know I’ll be expected as the defending champion I’m really happy to return to Sierre-Zinal; it’s a race I love I’m aiming for a top five finish; I don’t think I can do much better because of my disrupted preparation but one thing is certain: I will give my all.” Asked if he’s changed anything in his preparation for Sierre-Zinal That’s something you need to be prepared for if you want to perform well I’ve done a lot of training at 11:00am I tried to adapt as best as I could.” The forecast for Saturday is hot and sunny with the temperature predicted to climb to 32°C but Philemon points out: “It could be an advantage because I’ve prepared well but not specifically because I’m from Kenya That’s why I wanted to come back to Austria a bit early I think the challenge is bigger for Patrick who is still in Kenya and will arrive just before the race.” And will they apply the same team strategy for this edition “I have a lot more pressure this year and I want to respond to it,” says Kiriago but my strategy will simply be to stay with the lead group for as long as possible We’ll see how the race unfolds after the big climb.” “It’s very difficult to predict who will win this year We also have two other Run2gether teammates who will be there I think the winner will be the one with the strongest mind and who is truly ready for the battle on this course.” He adds: “I’m going to try to give my best at Sierre-Zinal and see the result it will still place me well in the overall ranking with my fourth place in China “I will then go to the USA and try to secure a podium finish in San Francisco and Mammoth I think a top five overall is possible by the end of the season I dream of a podium at the end of the Golden Trail Series Having been ousted from the playoffs, HC Sierre can now focus on office things again One of the things on their agenda is finding a new head coach According to "Le Nouvelliste", Dany Gelinas will not coach HC Sierre beyond this season Gelinas returned to Sierre after several years of absence in mid-December to replace Mario Pouliot who was relieved of his head coaching duties on the same day HC Sierre's staff has supposedly already a candidate in mind for the 2025-26 season: Louis Matte. However, the 52-year-old Canadian has one year left on his contract with HC La Chaux-de-Fonds It thus remains to be seen how everything will play out Joyline Chepngeno burst onto the trail running scene in the most incredible way imaginable with a remarkable win at the 51st edition of the iconic Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland The Kenyan was running in her first ever trail race in Europe A talented runner on the track as a youngster the exploits of some of the women she used to run against had inspired her to return to the sport after having two children the 25-year-old lost around 30 kilos in the space of 18 months – and the result was astounding Sierre-Zinal is one of trail running’s most famous races with a past winners list a who’s who of the sport’s best It covers 31km and features over 2,200 metres of climbing In the men’s race this year the GOAT Kilian Jornet was notching a record tenth victory in thrilling style – but arguably something more sensational was happening just behind in the women’s event For Chepngeno led from the outset and while many were expecting her to come back to the more fancied runners She went further and further clear and when the line came she was over eight minutes ahead of Britain’s Scout Adkin with Madalina Florea of Romania – the winner of the Golden Trail World Series Grand Final last year – in third Read on for the full story of an incredible day… The latest stop on both the Golden Trail World Series and the WMRA World Cup meant an incredibly deep women’s start list But the day ended up being about just one woman It was 26°C at the start and Chepngeno put down a marker straight away as she powered up the brutal first climb By the first checkpoint after 7km she was 49 seconds ahead of Adkin in second with Kenyan legend Joyce Njeru and Florea in a battle for third at +1:43 While Chepngeno was in splendid isolation up front there was plenty of chopping and changing in behind Njeru cruised past Adkin at the 10km mark to take second but by the next checkpoint she was just over two minutes behind Chepngeno Florea at +2:51 and five minutes and upwards to the rest By now Judith Wyder – the Mont-Blanc Marathon winner recently – had dropped out with her build-up to the race hampered by COVID Chepngeno extended her lead again by third checkpoint and it was Adkin who was now back in second at +2:33 And the gaps continued to go out and out as Chepngeno wrote one of the most memorable chapters in trail running history She stopped the clock at the finish in two hours less than 10 minutes outside the record time despite the searing temperatures Adkin notched a hugely impressive second place with Florea rounding out the podium in third Last year’s winner Sophia Laukli (USA) was seventh as she continues her comeback from injury The 31-year-old captain of the Valaisans has put his signature on a new three-year deal The love story between the Montandon family and HC Sierre has been enriched with a new chapter Maxime will now also wear the colors of Sierre at least until the end of the 2027-28 season The 31-year-old defender has been part of the team since 2018 his first year in the Swiss League after promotion "I'm delighted to extend my adventure with HC Sierre for three more seasons I've been defending these colors for seven seasons with the same passion and desire we'll be ready to take on all the challenges that await us I'm looking forward to the future with you," states Maxime Montandon After a season stalled by injury, Sophia Laukli is raring to go on Saturday as last year’s overall Golden Trail World Series winner looks to defend her Sierre-Zinal title the 24-year-old was best known for her achievements in cross country skiing – she competed at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games for the USA The transition back from the ski season has been more of a struggle this year but she made her return in the last GTWS race finishing fourth at the Mont-Blanc Marathon And chatting to GTWS’ Mickaël Mussard she sounded in much more confident mood ahead of this weekend when asked how she’s been doing since then I’m much more excited now about running I mentioned that I didn’t really feel like running because I knew I wasn’t back to my best level But I feel much better now and much better prepared for Sierre-Zinal Just over a month on from Mont-Blanc she reflected on that result: “I think that it mainly made me realise that I can’t just show up at the start line without proper preparation but that I need to put in the work before a race I also realised that last year was much easier for me; I was just in good shape and I didn’t have to put in a lot of effort to make it work I was healthy and just had to run to have a good race I was only able to prepare for three or four weeks before the race due to my injury but I also realised that with the little preparation I had I still managed to run such a long race and finish fourth “I felt very confident in the first half of the race because I had very good sensations I felt in control; I even remember smiling at the second aid station because I wasn’t in any pain But the first half is much easier than the second “I think I pushed a bit too hard in the descent towards Vallorcine the second part of the race felt super long I realised it had been a while since I had run for so long I hoped to maintain third place until the finish but Miao Yao passed me in the final kilometres before the finish but I still have to be content with that fourth place.” Asked whether her own form is weaker or her rivals have raised their levels Laukli reckoned: “I think it’s probably a bit of both but it’s certain that I wasn’t at my best level It’s hard to gauge because last year I faced Judith [Wyder the winner at Mont-Blanc] under particular conditions; I had COVID in Italy and I wasn’t at my best in the final either I think Pikes Peak was a fair confrontation I’m not sure if she’s improved a lot was very strong in the final but I think she’s improved even more.” Asked which of the two impressed her most at Mont-Blanc Laukli replied: “I knew Judith would be in good shape; she’s very smart “I was more impressed by how Madalina handled such a long race at that speed like at Sierre-Zinal where I passed her three-quarters through the race I knew I wasn’t at my best in the descent but I didn’t expect her to catch up with me and she will be someone to watch out for.” But focussing on her own performance at Sierre-Zinal it’s clear that hopes are high – even though she’s playing down expectations It’s the most competitive race in the world not because of the result but simply because I wasn’t at my level This will be the time to show that I’m really back “I have a goal… But I don’t want to talk too much about it I hope that with the way my season started I won’t be too much under the spotlight; I want to take some pressure off well… I know that as the defending champion people will be watching me closely.” asked if she’d reassessed her overall goals in light of her season’s start she added: “I think it’s still possible to win the Golden Trail Series but I need to have a perfect second half of the season But I also think it’s good to have this adversity so early in the season because I won’t be surprised if I’m not in front at the final I’m also starting to tell myself that if I don’t manage it it doesn’t mean it’s a terrible season I’m going to give it my all to come back and win but I also need to take a step back and look at the season as a whole.” The two clubs have confirmed "Le Nouvelliste"'s report from two days ago - the defenseman is moving from one to the other Making use of his out-clause, Yonas Berthoud is leaving HC Sierre for HC Ajoie He has signed a deal valid for the coming season he initially was under contract until 2027 and had been a part of them since 2020 the 24-year-old recorded four goals and 30 assists Yonas' departure spoils the reunion of the three Berthoud brothers with Sascha already being there and Noah joining “There’s no way I’m letting go of this victory,” was how Kilian Jornet described the dramatic final stages of a classic Sierre-Zinal It was his tenth win – the first was in 2009 All looked to be going to plan early on – the trail running GOAT left the rest of the field in his wake on the brutal first climb of the 31km race which features 2,200 metres of climbing But a Kenyan trio would cause all sorts of problems First Josphat Kiprotich would go past before the 10km mark He would be reeled in by the Catalan legend The former emerged as the big threat – he overtook with just over 2km to go before Jornet powered back into the lead and then less than two seconds would separate them on the line Afterwards Jornet said: “It’s been an amazing day Very hard. I had cramps so it’s been tough.  “I was feeling good and I started strong “But I saw that Philemon was catching up and I thought there’s no way I’m letting go of this victory I found one gear more and could push to the line he said: “That’s what makes me very very proud and I’m happy to give back to this amazing race that’s given me everything “For me it’s more than a 10th victory it’s being able to do even better 15 years down the line on the same race.” The third aid station I was pretty confident But then I saw that there were three catching me and I thought “Philemon passed me and I was thinking it’s not possible yet [to respond] as I had cramps Luckily it was then in the downhill and I said And the great news for the fans who were thrilled by the race – both those on the ground as well as the global TV audience is that the 37-year-old is likely to be back in 2025 Asked if we’ll see him here next year he said: “Well I haven’t missed many since 2009 so it’s a pretty sure guess.” Meanwhile Kiriago said: “I’m so proud of myself I didn’t think I could finish on the podium as I’m coming back from an ankle injury But thanks to careful treatment I have managed to be in good enough shape for this race and to take second place.” The 63-year-old will serve as the Swiss League team's manager and head coach come next season "His vast experience in this position, his work already accomplished within the sports management team, and his willingness to help us achieve our ambitious sporting objectives represent a real opportunity for our club," Alain Bonnet, HC Sierre's president Chris McSorley has been with HC Sierre since the 2023-24 season. Of course, he has already had experience as both a team manager and a head coach when he was still part of Genève-Servette HC's organization Joyce Njeru is going all out for victory at Sierre-Zinal this weekend – and the Golden Trail World Series The Kenyan star has had a great first half of the season and has realistic ambitions of winning both the GTWS and the Mountain Running World Cup She was runner-up to Sophia Laukli at Sierre-Zinal 12 months ago and the top five are all back again though it was announced on Wednesday that four-time winner Maude Mathys misses out through injury Njeru’s first GTWS victory came in China earlier this year following a fourth place the week before in Japan perhaps surprisingly for an athlete of her calibre She explained to GTWS’ Mickaël Mussard: “Initially I was afraid to compete in the Golden Trail World Series I had heard from many athletes that it was tough and not suited for me and the results I got in Asia immediately boosted my confidence “It’s an excellent start for me in the Series and it gives me a lot of confidence and motivation.” She said she was “disappointed” with her fourth at the Kobe Trail having led early on explaining: “I was well-prepared and had different expectations even though I started to doubt myself after the race in Japan So what about Sierre-Zinal on Saturday: “It’s a race I love and it’s definitely a goal I want to achieve – to win Sierre-Zinal I know I can do it if everything goes well “I also have people close to me who tell me I can do it and that gives me the energy to go for the win She also feels that the strength in depth in a stacked women’s field could lead to Mathys’ course record time from 2021 coming under threat: “It’s a record that will be hard to beat I’ll try to push as much as possible if I see that I’m close there will need to be a fierce battle between the women the goal will be to try to stay in contact with the other women on the climb while listening to my sensations I want to be able to attack in the second part of the race The descent isn’t a problem for me; my main concern will really be the first climb.” And in terms of who she sees as her main rival the response was: “I’ve never raced against Judith [Wyder] so I don’t really know her strengths and weaknesses but I think she will be a serious competitor and I know she’s very strong on the climbs but she’s injured… She’s a real inspiration to me; she climbs very well and I would have loved to compete against her in this race.” Asked if she’s changed anything in preparation but more broadly for the Golden Trail Series in general even though I want to defend my title in the Mountain Running World Cup I’ve made the Golden Trail World Series a real goal It really motivates me to compete against the best runners in the world I also want to be an inspiration by shining in the Golden Trail Series I want to show other Africans that we can excel on the international stage against the best.” Sierre-Zinal this weekend provides a mouthwatering showdown in both the men’s and women’s races and in the former two of the big favourites will be Patrick Kipngeno and Rémi Bonnet has won the Restonica Trail by UTMB and he’s looking forward to locking horns with Kipngeno having missed the first three GTWS events of 2024 Speaking to the GTWS’ Mickaël Mussard about Kipngeno he said: “He’s had some great races at the beginning of the season but it’s hard to gauge exactly how strong he is or were the others just a bit off their form in the first two races It’s tough to judge; we’ll have to see in the first head-to-heads especially since he was hampered by a knee injury last year it’s clear that Saturday’s race means a huge amount to Bonnet He explained: “I checked most of my goals last year and won the overall title which is the most important thing in the end.” But one title he’s still missing is Sierre-Zinal: “Yes I need to find a way to break the jinx and arrive with less pressure I will prepare well for it; it will clearly be the goal of my season and then the overall Golden Trail Series title.” Bonnet has been on the GTWS journey from the very beginning since winning at Zegama in 2018 And he added: “It’s true that I feel like I’ve seen it all it’s hard to find the motivation to go for another year Only one person has won two Golden Trail World Series races this season – can Patrick Kipngeno make it three against the strongest men’s field of the year so far The brilliant Kenyan won both stages of the Asian leg that kicked off the 2024 campaign – the Kobe Trail and the Four Sisters Mountain – as well as numerous other events and he’s now set for the iconic Sierre-Zinal on Saturday He’ll be up against the GOAT Kilian Jornet Rémi Bonnet and reigning champion and fellow Kenyan Philemon Kiriago His prowess going uphill is undoubted but he surprised a few with his descending at the technical Kobe Trail and he told the GTWS’ Mickaël Mussard: “Yes not even I expected to be so good on the downhill in Japan “Last off season I changed my training program to improve on those sections I have been training more downhills in Kenya focusing on my technique and resistance in those sectors it’s also helpful not having pain problems like I had last year.” It means he has to be a threat whatever the terrain and asked about his ambitions for Sierre-Zinal he finished second last year behind Kiriago after stepping on a stone and twisting his ankle just after the halfway mark And he’ll again look to work in tandem with Kiriago explaining: “We always try to run together and push each other I would like to share the podium with him again this year.” While he wouldn’t be pushed on who he sees as the biggest danger on a stacked start line on Saturday he did add: “I don’t have a main rival I race against myself and try to improve each race I cannot worry about the competition too much but maybe my friend Philemon is the guy to compete with!” This is a preview of the 2024 race – to read more about INCREDIBLE wins for Kilian Jornet and Joyline Chepngeno just click on their names Sierre-Zinal is also known as the race of five 4000s (La Course des Cinq 4000) as the route takes competitors in sight of five peaks of over four thousand meters: Weisshorn It’s 31km long and with 2,200m of elevation gain Sierre-Zinal is widely considered one of the world’s most coveted ultrarunning titles The first Sierre-Zinal took place in 1974 and over the years it has seen some prestigious winners including Kilian Jornet (a record nine times) and Maude Mathys (four times) with that duo also holding the current respective course records In addition to its individual status, the race is both a stop on the Golden Trail World Series and a Gold Label Race for the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup including two incredible start lists… The main elite events get under way at 11:00am on Saturday 10 August Live tracking for the race is available HERE And you can watch the whole race live without leaving this page via the embed below The full start lists for both the men’s and women’s races are here – and what stellar line-ups they are Take a look a little lower down as we highlight some of the star names in our analysis section… the 31km course tests the mettle of some of the world’s greatest trail runners runners face a steady climb in the early stages of the race as thy pass through Beauregard and Ponchette before reaching Chandolin – a climb of 1,420m to the mid-point of the race shallower climb takes competitors through Tignousa and Hotel Weisshorn before the course peaks at Nava That comes 85% of the way through the course with the remaining 15% of the course taking athletes on a steep descent down to Zinal from which there is a final frantic 535m of descent to the finish line in Zinal Check out the 3D video of the route below for a different perspective… In the women’s race all of last year’s top five runners return She had an incredible run to win here last year but was injured at the start of this season. Her fourth place at Marathon du Mont Blanc at the end of June suggests that she is recovering well and that was underlined in our pre-race preview piece with her – she says this will be her “real comeback” Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Atletica Saluzzo) was second here this year and is having a strong World Cup with two wins at Broken Arrow as well as the Four Sisters Mountain race on the GTWS Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Run2gether) completed the women’s podium here last year and we’ve also seen her on World Cup podiums this year at Grossglockner Scout Adkin (HOKA) will be strongly fancied after her recent wins at La Montee du Nid d’Aigle and Montemuro Vertical run Americans Anna Gibson (Brooks) and Allie Ostrander (NNormal) will also be ones to watch Madalina Florea (Salomon) and Judith Wyder (HOKA) in what is an incredibly deep women’s field However, Philemon Kiriago (Run2gether) will not be giving up his crown easily and is currently leading the 2024 men’s WMRA World Cup competition – here’s what he told us about his chances The men’s runner-up last year was Patrick Kipngeno (Run2gether) and he will also be back to try to go one better after winning the first two GTWS races in 2024 followed by both the VK and the Skyrace at Broken Arrow Kilian Jornet has dominated Sierre-Zinal in recent years who was a late withdrawal from this year’s race has the women’s record with a time of 2:46:03 The current men’s champion is Kenya’s Philemon Kiriago with American star Sophia Luakli winning the women’s title Kilian Jornet wins Sierre-Zinal for a ninth time in 2021 [Photo credit: Marco Gulberti at Corsa in Montagna]  It’s surely the most anticipated trail running duel of the season so far as Kilian Jornet and Rémi Bonnet lock horns at Sierre-Zinal this Saturday It’s the fifth leg of the Golden Trail World Series and the pair have been chatting to the GTWS’ Mickaël Mussard about a range of topics ahead of the showdown in a video interview that’s embedded below First up was training and it was fascinating to hear two of the running greats underline the value of conistency Asked what the craziest training session he’s done before the extreme climbs and descents of Sierre-Zinal nine-time winner Jornet said: “I think it’s more about being consistent I often do like one uphill and then some flat sections I think people who do crazy sessions can manage one session It’s good for Strava and social media And that was echoed by Bonnet who revealed: “Yeah I can say that because I once tried doing such a session and then I was completely burned out for two weeks afterwards and now to relax a bit without doing anything crazy.” a Sierre-Zinal victory has so far eluded Bonnet and “But there is a guy I need to beat if I want to win It’s good that he is here because if you win and he’s not it doesn’t feel like a real victory.” Jornet says the rich history of the race makes it extra special: “It’s the 51st edition If you look at generation after generation all the top runners from each generation have been here you can kind of compare yourself through the years Even if we don’t see the landscape while running this valley is one of the most beautiful in the Alps.” It’s been great to again see the strength in depth at the GTWS again this season and that theme of the best taking on the best is something that has run through the season as a whole Asked what the Golden Trail Series brings to trail running Bonnet suggested: “Maybe a bit more visibility for the sport “I think if you look at the race here But I think for the other races in the circuit You see that every year the race times are getting faster it’s a good way to bring all the best runners to the same place.” And Jornet feels it also helps shine a light on races under the marathon distance pointing out: “Especially in trail running there was a lot of media focus on long distances – on ultras and these long races “What the Golden Trail Series has done is shift some of that focus to races that are shorter but more competitive and interesting in terms of racing HC Sierre is not yet done building its team for the 2025-26 season There are still some pieces missing in the roster Monika Majer / RvS.Media According to Klaus Zaugg ("Watson"), Chris McSorley is, however, busy talking to Colin Gerber. The 27-year-old defender is at the end of his contract with the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers and would thus be available only willing to pay up to CHF 120,000 for Gerber's services The team manager/head coach of HC Sierre is supposedly also interested in Sandro Zurkirchen. The goaltender will not return to EHC Kloten next season and is thus looking for a new employer The three Berthoud brothers were supposed to play for HC Sierre next season but it looks like Yonas will play elsewhere As "Le Nouvelliste" reports, Yonas Berthoud has received an offer from HC Ajoie and accepted their proposal. While he is under contract with HC Sierre until 2027 he has an out clause which he will make use of Berthoud returned to HC Sierre in 2020 he recorded four goals and 29 assists in 45 regular-season games Swiss coffee machine manufacturer Eversys has announced the expansion of its factory facility in Sierre The expanded site was officially inaugurated on 20 June, with local authorities, De’Longhi board members “Today marks a significant milestone for Eversys as we consolidate and regroup under one roof,” says Eversys CEO Martin Strehl Commissioned to meet the evolving needs of its clients the expansion aims to enhance Eversys’ production capabilities while also enabling it to maintain its high standards of quality and service “This expansion allows us to efficiently digest and respond to the strong growth of the past years while creating ample space for our future expansion,” says Strehl “What started as a building project two years ago is now fully operational enabling us to unite all our operations under a single roof.” the company’s production and storage area has grown from 4250 square metres to 11,000 square metres strengthening its manufacturing and logistics abilities “The extended facilities not only enhance our operational efficiency but also position us to capitalise on further growth opportunities We are excited about the prospects the larger factory brings for Eversys,” says Strehl The new development not only highlights Eversys’ dedication to growth and innovation but also its commitment to meeting the needs of its global clientele For more information, click here YouTube stars Will Lenney (WillNE) and James Marriott have turned their sights to food and drink retail through the launch.. Fijian Minister for Agriculture and Waterways Vatimi Rayalu has pledged to revive the nation’s ailing coffee and cocoa industries to.. European café chain Costa Coffee is taking to the skies via a new partnership with Jet2.com and Jet2holidays to bring.. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media While one import's contract has been terminated the other joins them from North America until 2026 As HC Sierre announced earlier today, Josh Lawrence will no longer be part of them. The Canadian's deal has been terminated by mutual agreement. He joined the Swiss League team from EHC Winterthur last summer Sierre has signed a new Canadian - Samuel Houde the forward has been playing in the organization of the Pittsburgh Penguins since 2021 it will be the first time playing outside of North America for the 24-year-old the Canadian is seriously considering the possibility of returning behind the bench as a head coach rather focusing on other ventures in Sierre the 63-year-old apparently did not contest the information David Burri, Quentin Delmas, Ashton Stockie, Dominik Volejnicek, Nicolas Dozin, and  Eliott Meyrat will no longer wear HC Sierre's jersey Burri joined the team this season but only ever played in the MyHockey League for HCV Martigny. Delmas, too, signed with HC Sierre this past summer but did not play a single game for them has been with the Swiss League team since the end of the 2023-24 season played for the team for the past four seasons and will thus now have to look for a new opportunity Nicolas Dozin, on the other hand, has decided to hang up his skates and retire from professional hockey: “After ten years full of emotions with HC Sierre the fans and all those who have shared this adventure with me These ten years spent by your side will remain with me forever." The defenseman is a product of Lausanne HC's organization and suited up for HC La Chaux-de-Fonds and HC Université Neuchâtel at the men's level before signing with HC Sierre in 2015 the Swiss League team has acquired the services of another Canadian Samuel Houde's tenure with HC Sierre did not start very well. Only twenty days after joining, the forward suffered a cut on his forearm, putting an end to his season. To make up for the loss, Sierre has now received reinforcements from EHC Winterthur by the name of Brett Neumann who had missed parts of the regular season due to injury His contract with them is running out this spring A post shared by Sierre-Zinal (@sierrezinal_officiel) Chepngeno made an extraordinary debut in trail running, leading from the start and increasing her lead throughout the race. Competing in her first European trail event and first competitive race since high school, the 25-year-old Kenyan shocked fans and her competition alike. A post shared by Au-delà du mur (@podcastaudeladumur) only one minute and 24 seconds behind Jornet — Masahiro Natori (@natori5296) August 10, 2024 Get the digital edition of Running for your chosen platform: and Léonardo Fuhrer have all recovered from their injuries Absent from the lineup for a while, the three players will return to the ice for game action on Saturday for the matchup against EHC Olten, HC Sierre announces The game against the Powermäuse will also see the debut of Sierre's latest acquisition Get A Golf Handicap UK Golf Guide Golfshake Top 100s Find Golf Travel Deals Golf Competitions Community Forum MIGUEL Angel Jimenez will tee it up at the Omega European Masters for the 34th time at Crans-sur-Sierre this week One of the most colourful characters ever to grace European golf the Spaniard will this year take on the role of tournament ambassador and Jimenez has played in more than 720 tournaments on the DP World Tour and he also has 13 victories on the PGA Tour Champions He remains the oldest European player to have won a DP World Tour event at the age of 50 years and 133 days - the 2014 Open de España he can still play and remains fiercely competitive Cans-sur-Sierre is located high in the Alps which means the ball travels further - and that favours shorter hitters such as Jimenez The European Masters holds a special place in 60-year-old Jiménez's heart he will return to the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club with memories both on and off the Severiano Ballesteros course He said: "This is my favourite place to play golf Just look around to understand what I love about this place I don't know how many years I have left but as long as I feel capable of making birdies you will find me at the Omega European Masters." However, the star attraction will be former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick who is looking to win the event for a third time The Englishman will be making his eighth appearance as he goes in search of his 10th DP World Tour title Fitzpatrick claimed his maiden Major title at the 2022 U.S Open and was part of the victorious European Ryder Cup team in Rome last year and became the first player in 40 years since Ballesteros to defend his title in 2018 Having finished in a tie for third last year victory this week would see Fitzpatrick join Ballesteros and Dai Rees from England to have secured a hat-trick of titles in the tournament’s long history He missed out on the Tour Championship on the PGA Tour and so will arrive in Switzerland fresh and raring to go as he begins the task of accumulating Ryder Cup points for the match against the USA in New York in 12 months time Sebastian Söderberg will return to the scene of his breakthrough DP World Tour win as he continues an impressive season The Swede memorably won a five-man play-off that included Rory McIlroy to claim his first and only DP World Tour title to date in Crans-Montana who has been sidelined over recent weeks through injury sits fourth on the Race to Dubai after registering seven top tens He will be joined at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club by England’s Matt Wallace who finished runner-up to Thriston Lawrence in 2022 Wallace has enjoyed success on both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour He claimed his first victory on the PGA Tour at the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic last year Desperate to make the European RyderCup team Wallace has admitted that he has struggled to balance life on both sides of the Atlantic but he is a hugely talented golfer and this is a golf course that should be made for him That same applies to South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen who represented his country at the Olympic Games in Paris After finishing inside the top 15 in the 2017 Challenge Tour Rankings he graduated to the DP World Tour and excelled during that season with five top 10 finishes seeing him earn the 2018 Graduate of the Year award first on the Sunshine Tour at the Eye of Africa PGA Championship and then on the Challenge Tour at the Hainan Open Van Rooyen secured his maiden DP World Tour title at the 2019 Scandinavian Invitation holding off the challenges of Ryder Cup players Fitzpatrick and Henrik Stenson and holed a 15-foot birdie putt at the last to win by one He then won his first PGA Tour title at the 2021 Barracuda Championship finishing five points ahead of Andrew Putnam in the Modified Stableford format One of the big incentives for DP World Tour players is the 10 PGA Tour cards on offer at the end of the season Nicolai Hojgaard was one of the beneficiaries in 2023 and did enough to retain his playing rights and he will also ne in action this week Hojgaard already has three DP World Tour wins to his name and sits just outside the top 50 in the world rankings US Open and Open Championship and is quite clearly a world-class golfer Twelve months ago, Ludvig Aberg shot a final round of 64 to win the event by two strokes There had been considerable noise surrounding Aberg since he turned professional in the summer after reaching the top of the amateur golf world rankings He had played in just a handful of tournaments as a pro but finished fourth at the Czech Masters the previous week and this victory was enough to persuade Luke Donald to pick Aberg for the Ryder Cup - even though he had never even played in a major Fitzpatrick was the 54-hole leader and stayed in front for most of the day before falling back into a tie for third place with Scotland’s Connor Syme But he did enough to secure his place as an automatic selection for the team Robert MacIntyre also claimed his place despite finishing well down the field another on the fringes of Ryder Cup election closed with a 66 to end the week in second place Aberg recovered from bogeying his opening hole to fire seven birdies - including four in a row from the 14th - in a final-round 64 that saw him end on 19 under A tee shot to five feet at the eighth and a delicate up-and-down on the ninth saw Aberg turn in 33 although he still had work to do to catch Fitzpatrick at that stage Four successive pars on the inward nine looked to have ended his chances but Aberg had other ideas as he cashed in on the back-to-back par-five 14th and 15th rolled in a 15 footer on the 16th and stiffed his approach to tap-in range at the 17th “I don't even know where to start it's a pretty surreal feeling to be honest,” Aberg said I've always had that belief that I've been able to do it seven footer on 14 and that was a big moment for me I needed to take care of the par fives and I did today.” in 2022 by Thriston Lawrence and last year by Ludvig Aberg There was no tournament in 2020 because of the pandemic Crans-sur-Sierre is arguably the most beautiful golf course visited by the DP World Tour which means that anybody with designs of victory here knows they are going to have to go low which means that accuracy from the tee is a requirement Thriston Lawrence’s winning total last year was 262 This is a course that offers the chance for somebody to record a 59 Sebastian Soderberg is enjoying a fine season and has his eyes on a coveted PGA Tour card The only thing missing from his CV in 2024 is a victory He is a former winner here and will have plenty of positive feelings about this week Could do with a win in what has been a disappointing season Photo Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography 2024 Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Review Be part of the action with a selection of unique golf tournament experiences, from playing in a pro-am with the stars to watching the action at golf’s most illustrious events. Whether it’s the Masters or The Open, The Ryder Cup or WM Phoenix Open, build your own bespoke package with the experts at Golfbreaks.com Tags: european tour dp world tour Tuition Series Golf Forums Golf Course Directory UK Golf Courses Tee Time Search Golf Inspired Search for Golf Courses Tee Time Search Weekly Tour News Industry News Rating & Reviews Get a Golf Handicap Golfscoretracker Handicap Calculations Stat Tracking Cards Golfshake Services Terms, Cookies & Privacy your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt Jaguar Land Rover has become the latest luxury car maker to face problems because of flooding in Switzerland which wiped out a key aluminium supplier's factory Aluminium alloys are used for car body parts and car panelling purposes Other companies such as Porsche and BMW have also faced disruptions Mercedes-Benz earlier said the the aluminium shortage because of these floods would not have an impact on its production as its supplier base is already signficantly diverse The aluminium supplier in this case is Novelis Novelis was compelled to stop production at its aluminium mill in Sierre after heavy rainfall caused the mill to flood which happens when a contract party is unable to fufil its obligations because of circumstances beyond its control Jaguar Land Rover has been forced to look for other suppliers the usual manufacturing plant closings in summer have made the situation worse A spokesperson from Jaguar Land Rover was reported by The Telegraph as saying: "Our priority is to minimise any impact on our production and in turn client orders So we are working with Novelis to assess the impact on JLR and understand their recovery plans "We have had good conversations with other suppliers The clean-up work following the flooding in aluminium production facilities is reportedly still ongoing with manufacturers having to wait for flood waters to retreat before being able to clear away mud layers it is still unclear how long these suppliers may be out of production Porsche recently adjusted its financial outlook for the full year 2024 saying: "Despite immediate countermeasures it is becoming apparent that the impending supply shortage will lead to impairments in production that will not be fully compensated for over the course of the year."  Jaguar Land Rover recently reported its first quarter financial year 2025 revenues seeing the best Q1 revenue on record so far The company's profit before tax and exceptional items came up to  £693m Jaguar Land Rover's CEO Adrian Mardell Said: "We are bringing the lessons learned from the success on the racetrack to our luxury electric vehicles and later this year we will unveil our first next generation luxury electric vehicle which has more than 41,000 customers on its waiting list." Nicolai von Dellingshausen putted into the lake at the 12th during the third round Alex Fitzpatrick three-putted from within six feet on the opening hole Blustery conditions at the Crans-Sur-Sierre Golf Club event are giving players plenty to think about during the third round of the Omega European Masters Players battled blustery conditions in the third round of the DP World Tour’s Omega European Masters among those eating into the 547-yard par 5 at the high altitude course with considerable ease Gugler hit his tee shot an incredible 476 yards on the way to a birdie while some have benefited from the conditions Nicolai von Dellingshausen had been going along nicely enough with a creditable one-over on his front nine on a day where low scores were generally proving hard to come by The German approached the 12th hole still within sight of the leader After his second shot found the back of the green he faced a daunting 54-foot putt for birdie with a tricky pin position but that’s where things began to unravel Any hopes he had of immediately narrowing the gap at the top of the leaderboard were comprehensively thwarted when instead of his putt heading towards the hole the ball took a severe misturn into the lake beside the green He didn’t have much luck with his fifth shot either and he could only get to one-and-a-half feet with his bogey attempt before finishing a double-bogey to slip further behind the lead Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts The Englishman’s second shot veered left of the green to land in the water his very next shot traveled only four yards before again landing in the lake before he eventually walked away with a quadruple-bogey eight began the day in contention for his maiden DP World Tour win but he got off to the worst possible start when he three-putted from inside six feet to give him a dispiriting double-bogey Despite the misfortunes of the three players they each remain in reasonable positions on the leaderboard Von Dellinghausen seven off the pace after he recovered with successive birdies and Pepperell tied for 30th heading into the final round.  Afterwards, Wallace tried to make sense of the conditions in the right areas - they were the wrong areas by the looks of it.  "The other day I was saying it was cold and windy The greens were fantastic but just really fast as well Gugler is six off the lead with one round to play I've seen a load of low temperatures but I've never seen wind like that before Another player who had been in contention before a costly ruling penalty on the 12th is Jordan Smith He suggested the DP World Tour could have taken the conditions into account when setting up the course particularly with regard to pin positions.  He wrote on X: "A day to forget but a day for the @DPWorldTour refs to forget The quickest these greens have ever been by far but they still decide to use the same pins as old plus with high winds today Even with the perfect conditions yesterday a few of the pins were ridiculous." He also insisted that the unexpectedly harsh conditions didn't offer an excuse as there was still time to change things before the start of play He added: "Plus the forecast was out at 6am with the first tee time being 7:30/45 so had time to change them!" Plus the forecast was out at 6am with the first tee time being 7:30/45 so had time to change them! https://t.co/PwCBZe7RAMSeptember 7, 2024 Wallace is grouped with Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Andrew "Beef" Johnston for the fourth round with the three beginning at 12.30pm local time Mike HallNews WriterMike has over 25 years of experience in journalism including writing on a range of sports throughout that time Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.  He has written hundreds of articles on the game from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.  Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997 He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.  Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography about golf’s founding father and son remains one of his all-time favourite sports books You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed The forward will reinforce the Biancoblù in their post-season mission now that his Swiss League team has been eliminated Usually a member of HC Sierre, Arnaud Montandon will put on HC Ambrì-Piotta's jersey for the time being With Sierre out of the Swiss League playoffs his B-licence with the National League team has been activated First, play-ins versus the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers and possibly a second opponent await the 33-year-old Montandon recorded twelve goals and 19 assists Golfshake ambassdor Matt Holbrook recently had the opportunity to play and experience the icon Golf Club Crans-Sur-Sierre in Switzerland An iconic venue and location and host of the Omega European Masters Dating back to 1906 and sitting some 1500 metres above sea level Golf Club Crans-Sur-Sierre is arguably one of the most scenic golf courses in the The main attraction is the Severiano Ballesteros 18 hole championships course but also features the equally as stunning 9 hole Jack Nicklaus course A traditional members course, which also operates as a skiing venue during the winter months, given its location, Crans-Sur-Sierre is most popular for being the host venue for the DP World Tour's Omega European Masters event - one on the longest running events on tour having featured every year since 1972 Set in the vibrant town of Crans-Montana the iconic golf course boasts spectacular views of the Rhone Valley in one direction and the 4,000 metre peaks of the alps in the other As soon as you arrive there is an immediate buzz and unseen level of excitement the town is vibrant and feeling you get around the pro-shop and clubhouse bar is something I've never experienced before The picturesque pro shop has a mixture of the usual golf equipment you will find in any pro shop as well as a range of crested items available for people to take away and keep as memories of their visit charming and ready to do whatever was needed to ensure your visit is as pleasurable as possible The driving range is at the other end of the course with top tracer technology and some grass bays available  It’s worth driving down there to hit a small bucket even if it is to get your first glimpse of some of the holes and stunning scenery The timber Swiss themed cabins that sit by the 1st and 10th tees also fall in line with some of the properties and hotels that line parts of the course There is also a nice putting green by the 1st tee which will give you a good chance to get used to the pace on the day before you head out of the course Especially when playing at an altitude where you can gain some distance on your usual yardages a slight turn from right to left down the fairway you are naturally drawn to the initial views overlooking the distance landscape you'd also be forgiven for thinking about what lay ahead as you walk down the first it may be reachable in 2 for some with the help a generous entry to the green that is well protected by bunkers either side of the green from and elevated tee box to a long but narrow 'egg timer' shaped green with a false front meaning anything short will run back down quite a way also give that little extra sense of tightness to the tee shot The hardest hole on the course soon follows at 4 A whopping 487-yard par 4 that moves sharply from left to right and drops down again towards the green The large fairway bunker on the left-hand side is definitely one to avoid as well over cutting your tee shot as some OOB runs down the right As you walk from the 6th green to the 7th tee down a small walkway the reveal in front of you as you reach the small steps down to the 7th tee is something you will struggle to experience anywhere else in the world A dream is the best way to describe it - dazzling panoramic views out across the mountains and valleys below is something that will stay with me forever The hole itself is one you may know as the drivable risk reward par 4 the professionals reach this hole with a 3 wood when playing in the European Masters from the back tees so it’s well worth having a go at the plateaued green - after all Whilst the green is surrounded by bunkers the direct line to the green means the hole plays slightly shorter than the yardage suggests The back 9 gets off to a great start with a strategic par 4 that will play close to 400 yards But with a large fairway bunker on the left-hand side shortly following by a lovely looking water feature playing an iron or fairway wood short of the trouble may be the best play but also leaves a slightly longer shot past the water into the green A great 3-hole stretch soon begins on the 12th hole A semi blind tee shot as the hole dog legs from left to right and falls sharply away to the green The 2 large fairway bunkers on the left-hand side are a great target line - but making sure you club short of those is a must The approach shot also needs to be precise as the green sits way below the level of the fairway Mix this with the false front and the pond that sits short and right of the green any approach shot coming up short will roll back down and find a watery grave again over a pond with the green surrounded by old stone seating area that will be filled with spectators during the European Master week - which gives outstand views of a couple of other holes as well as the previously mentioned scenery another hole you may recognise from the TV coverage is the downhill par 5 14th running alongside the back of the driving range is a fairly gentle tee shot and on the right line will get a good bit of distance as the fairway falls away all the way from the tee to the green Either lay up short of the bunkers and sizeable pond that runs from the front of the green all the way around and up the right-hand side another fun hole to play whatever you decide to do The 18th - whilst not the most scenic this course has to offer the tee shot ideally should be up the left-hand side due to the left to right fairway slope Anything too straight or right may well kick into one of the 2 fairway bunkers on the right-hand side or even worse suffer the fate that the late great Seve Ballesteros did back in The approach - from where you finish off the tee - will be over the gorgeous 2-tiered pond onto the green and a fitting finish to one of the best golfing experiences you can find Crans-Sur-Sierre is simply a stunning golf course with stunning scenery and set within a stunning landscape (yes I was lucky enough to play this the week before the European Masters event meaning the course was in exceptional condition The locals I played  with were quick to tell me how well the green keepers do to get the course back in shape following the winter season where people literally ski on the golf course When you take that into consideration it is remarkable the golf course is in the condition it is meaning you can make the course as hard or as fun as you like Having played off the whites myself I don't feel like it was too much of a stretch given the altitude difference and the ball travelling further it was very enjoyable on the par 3 13th hole the pin was 175 yards away (usually a well hit 7 or 6 for me) I hit an 8 iron that ended up carrying close to 180 yards and through the back of the green some of the green complexes are very undulating and the runoff areas can be fairly penal too so missing greens in the wrong places can damage your score.  That said I don't think when playing a course that offers so much lack of time to play 18 holes or are visiting with less experienced golfers then it is will worth checking out the 9 Hole Jack Nicklaus course which compliments the championship course extremely well.  The 2,984 yard Jack Nicklaus designed layout offers an undulating test with some rolling fairways and tricky greens that are maintained to the same condition as the main 18 hole course with a stunning view from the tee box of the lake sitting behind the hole As the fairway drops down from the tee to a tight green sat just the other side of a small pond.  An extremely tighter feeling hole at the 7th with the tall Swiss pine trees engulfing the hole all the way from the tee to the petit green.  It's a great addition to golf at Crans-Montana The championship course will give you everything you think it would and then so much more on top outstanding service and scenery to die for Related Content: golf reviews Golf Courses daily picks What do you think? post your thoughts and feedback on the Golfshake Forum: https://forum.golfshake.com/ Kilian Jornet has just completed an epic Alpine feat that he called “the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life” The ultrarunning GOAT, who also holds legendary status in ski mountaineering and climbing, started the attempt just days after winning Sierre-Zinal (for the 10th time) in breathtaking fashion the aim was to climb as many of the 4,000-metre summits in the Alps as possible travelling between them solely by human power with the project called ‘Alpine Connections’ and cycling – all things dear to him – and what unfolded was remarkable he said: “19 days after getting started on Piz Bernina my dream of climbing all 82 4,000 meter peaks of the Alps using only human power to link them together came true on Dôme and Barre des Écrins with Mathéo Jacquemoud and Benjamin Védrines the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life “It’s difficult to process all my emotions just now but this is a journey that I will never forget Just to try and give some context to what Jornet has achieved in 19 days, according to the Fastest Known Time website the current ratified record is 62 days That entry reads: “World-renowned Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck climbed all 82 peaks over 4000m in the European Alps over 62 days in the summer of 2015 using a bicycle to travel between the peaks and sometimes paragliding off the summits.”  Well, it feels strange to not be out in the mountains for 20+ hours today 🫠It was quite a journey the past 19 days… pic.twitter.com/vmnllRJnU6 HC Sierre announced the addition of The 26-year-old for the remainder of the season starting from November 30 for the game against the GCK Lions Maillard is looking forward with excitement: “Very excited and impatient to wear the colors of Sierre I know the dressing room well as I've been there two to three times in my career!”  In the ongoing National League season he played 19 games for GSHC The Swiss League team and the 27-year-old defenseman have mutually agreed to part ways Arnaud Currit will suit up for the MyHockey League team Arnaud Currit's contract with HC Sierre has been dissolved The defender will join HCV Martigny for the remainder of the season and will suit up for them effective immediately having joined the Swiss League team from Martigny in 2024 HC Sierre has decided to relieve Mario Pouliot of his duties effective immediately HCV Martigny has loaned Dany Gélinas to the Swiss League team for the remainder of the season Mario Pouliot had been HC Sierre's head coach since January 11 He is now replaced by Dany Gélinas who used to coach the Swiss League team from 2018 until 2022 Gélinas has been active as HCV Martigny's head coach this season The MyHockey League team will replace its head coach with Guillaume Anex He is supposed to coach the team for the rest of the season Anna Gibson is hoping to put local knowledge to good use in the next Golden Trail World Series race this weekend – the Headlands 27K Gibson made an impressive 2024 debut in the GTWS by finishing sixth at Sierre-Zinal Still relatively unknown on the European circuit the American is now eager to follow up that result on the trails she knows by heart during the two upcoming Californian races and hopes to prove that she truly belongs among the best athletes in the world Speaking to the GTWS’ Mickaël Mussard she explained: “I’m a runner with a track background I also do many other sports; I love cycling and do a lot of it.” But it’s trail running which has become the priority and it all grew from a trip to Europe: “I was already doing some races in high school during the summer but it started becoming more so in college “Then I came to Europe to participate in my first World Mountain Running Cup I realised I could compete in international races so I tried to push further in that direction.” she finished sixth at Sierre-Zinal last month she replied: “I wouldn’t say I had high expectations going into Sierre-Zinal but I knew I was very well-trained and in great shape “But I also knew I feared this race a bit experiences where people said if you have a bad day I thought aiming for the top 10 would be good “This result does feel a bit different from others for me when I finished third at Pikes Peak or fourth at Mammoth I realised that I could fully participate in the Golden Trail Series I wanted to know where I really stood against all these women to compete against the best athletes in the world and see what could happen it felt a bit different because the level was so high That’s what makes it so meaningful for me in the end.” And that feeling of believing she belongs at this level has taken a little while to sink in as she explains: “I was already watching the Series from the outside I like to remind myself that not too long ago I was watching all of this thinking it looked fun But I wasn’t quite ready to travel so much to take part in the whole Series I might be able to find a sponsor because that’s what I wanted to do: run in this Series It’s incredibly difficult to convince people that the level in trail running is extremely high I’ve often tried to change the way people perceive the level in trail running could win a race because the level is so high and there are so many performance variables making it very hard to predict a result.” because I’ve been living right next to the course for six months now; it’s practically my training ground There’s some expectation from my friends and family who remind me that no one knows the course better than I do and they hope that will help me achieve something great “But I’m approaching these races like any other I’ll do everything I can to aim for the top three I want to have fun and not take it too seriously – that’s ultimately how I make progress “I think the best way for me to achieve that is by taking each race one by one and at the GTWS final [in Switzerland in October].” the disciplinary department of the SIHF inflicted a fine of CHF 800.- to the forward of the Valaisans At the request of the Player Safety Officer, the single judge has given a game misconduct penalty to Mathieu Vouillamoz of HC Sierre for hitting Romain Gilles Montandon in the groin area during the game against the GDT Bellinzona Snakes on January 02 the game between Sierre and Bellinzona will be played a week earlier than expected The game was planed to be played on Tuesday, the 12th of November. But because Sierre will play their Cup Quarterfinal on Wednesday, the 13th of November in Küssnacht against the GCK Lions Sierre will play now on Tuesday, the 5th of November at home against GDT Bellinzona Snakes The forward and the defenseman are going to finish the season in the Valais instead of the Ticino HC Sierre has announced two additions to their roster - Damien Prevate and Michael Pastori. They both join from the GDT Bellinzona Snakes effective immediately and will finish the season with Sierre 20-year-old Prevate spent the first part of his junior time in Canadian leagues before joining Genève-Servette's youth department in 2020 Bellinzona was the forward's first experience in men's hockey "Prevate will quickly become a fan favorite thanks to his physical play and natural instinct to protect his teammates" 23-year-old Pastori grew up playing for HC Ambrì-Piotta and was mostly part of the Snakes or their predecessors has great leadership qualities and brings valuable defensive stability to the team" Be one of the first to try our new activity feed is celebrating five decades of world-class competition this weekend in Switzerland Pablo Vigil will never forget his first taste of mountain running in Switzerland As a twentysomething runner in the mid-1970s Vigil had completed his collegiate track and cross country career at Adams State College in Alamosa There weren’t any established professional training groups and few professional sponsorships at the time but Vigil found his way to Boulder because he had heard Olympic marathon champion Frank Shorter was starting a racing team Living in a rented mobile home in Boulder with several other runners Vigil improved considerably training with the Frank Shorter Racing Team squad that earned the team silver medal at the 1978 World Cross Country Championships in Glasgow racked up several top-10 finishes in domestic road races and lowered his marathon personal best to 2:18:32 he was invited to run the Sierre-Zinal race a 31K (19.2-mile) trail race that connects several mountain villages between Sierre and Zinal Vigil was told Sierre-Zinal was the biggest and most competitive mountain running race in the world—an event that drew cross-country runners and Nordic skiers who were known to train by running trails—so he was eager to give it a shot Not only was the course and its 7,200 feet of total vertical gain harder than anything he’d ever run it turned out to be the most competitive race of his life “I had run some of the early trail races in Colorado like the Pikes Peak Marathon and some other local ones but it was nothing like what was happening in the European scene,” says Vigil who draws part of his heritage to the Taos (Tiwa) Native American tribe of Puebloan people Competing against top mountain runners from Switzerland Vigil remembers the aggressive style of racing—bumping elbows and shoulders—along the narrow singletrack trails that climbed more than 6,000 feet out of Sierre as thousands of local residents cheered along the course and didn’t have any fear of flat-out racing Not ruffled by the more experienced European runners wearing a pair of original Nike Waffle Racers blasted to the front midway through the race and never relinquished his lead winning in a new course-record time of 2:33:49 as a helicopter filmed overhead for live TV Although trail running in the U.S. had started to develop in popularity, it was mostly centered around the niche sport of ultra-distance trail running that began to flourish after Gordy Ainsleigh completed the 100-mile Tevis Cup equestrian event on foot in 1974, a feat that led to the formation of the Western States Endurance Run. In Europe a lot of the European runners were pretty arrogant and saying that the Americans were soft,” recalls Vigil a retired school teacher who lives in Fort Collins they were saying Americans were soft in skiing We’re just as badass as the Europeans We just need to get our asses over there and start kicking some ass in those kinds of races.’” runner to win the race—elite American marathoner and mountain running pioneer Chuck Smead had won it in 1977 and cajoled Vigil into running it two years later—Vigil was the first multi-year champion and the race’s first legendary runner after winning it three more years in a row encouraging other American runners to compete in the event since the 1980s runners to test their mettle on the course with several producing top-five finishes over the years,including those by Jay Johnson But Megan Lund (2010) and Stevie Kremer (2014) are the only other American runners to win the race other than Smead and Vigil “It was my first taste of real European trail racing “There was never a dull moment on the course it felt like the course was remote and there were people everywhere cheering ‘How do these people get up here?’ You would never see this in America I signed hundreds of autographs on spectator’s race programs and I had never done that before,” she adds and I was being asked for my autograph right when I got off the train in Sierre.” Sierre-Zinal is celebrating its 50th edition this year and it’s just as prestigious as it’s ever been Known as “the race of the five 4,000s”—a reference to the majestic 4,000-meter-high summits that overlook the race—it’s remained a prominent event in the trail running world because of its stunning locale the fast-and-furious racing from the star-studded international fields it attracts each year and the festive community support from the enthusiastic spectators “A lot of races in Europe have enormous spectator support tunnels of crowds that are deafeningly loud,” says American Eli Hemming one of the top contenders in the men’s field “It’s so exciting as a runner to compete in an atmosphere like that.” As one of the six races of the competitive Golden Trail World Series the men’s and women’s elite races are stacked with talented runners from around the world The first 12K (7.4 miles) of the course sends runners up a near-continuous climb from 1,900 to 6,500 feet They continue climbing to a high point of nearly 8,000 feet at the 24K (15-mile) mark before dropping 2,500 feet over the increasingly steeper final 7K (4 miles) to the finish line in Zinal they’re greeted by hundreds of local villagers and thousands of runners from the citizen race that started before the elite runners There are 6,500 runners registered to run Sierre-Zinal this year Kilian Jornet, the world’s preeminent mountain runner and ultrarunner, has won Sierre-Zinal a record nine times since 2009, most recently in 2021. Unfortunately, he’s sidelined with a hip injury this weekend and relegated to assisting the race’s livestream broadcast 2022 Golden Trail World Series champion and winner of last summer’s Pikes Peak Ascent in Colorado has already stated his intent on wanting to win the historic race in his home country Other top names to watch in this year’s race include Robbie Simpson (UK) won the Vertical K at the 2022 Skyrunning World Championships in Ossola a 28-year-old triathlete-turned-mountain runner from Salida won the 23K Broken Arrow Sky Race near Lake Tahoe in June and then took second in the prestigious Mont Blanc Marathon in late June in Chamonix Another fast-rising American runner making her Sierre-Zinal debut is Salt Lake City’s Sophia Laukli who will be a top contender in the women’s race The former University of Utah and 2022 Olympic Nordic skier is now a Salomon-sponsored pro trail runner who won the 42K Marathon du Mont-Blanc in Chamonix and took second at the 22K DoloMyths Run in Canazei Swiss runner Judith Wyder is another frontrunner of the deep women’s field after winning the DoloMyths Run the runner-up finisher last year and the silver medalist in the 7.5K vertical race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships on June 7 in Innsbruck last year’s Golden Trail World Series champion and a 2:22 marathoner is coming back from an early season injury and is out to prove she’s equally as good on trails as she is on the roads Other top contenders include American Allie McLaughlin who won two races at the 2022 Golden Trail World Series Finals and the vertical mountain race at the last year’s world championships in Thailand and USA’s Tabor Scholl (ninth last year at Sierre-Zinal) Trail running has evolved considerably since Vigil reigned over the European trail running world as a four-time Sierre-Zinal champion Vigil vividly remembers aid stations handing out raisins and even paper cups filled with locally produced wine there’s an elite-class of professionally sponsored mountain runners who specialize in sub-ultra distances bolstered by trail running supershoes Sierre-Zinal can be viewed via premier livestream coverage throughout the world but it’s still broadcast on live TV throughout Switzerland and draws thousands of local spectators Vigil was disturbed to hear that news last year mostly because he always considered mountain running to have a higher moral code than the sponsor-controlled money-infused competitiveness he witnessed on the track and roads marathons and lower his personal best to 2:15:19 and continued racing as a competitive master’s runner on the roads and trails into his 60s are primarily tied to memories of racing Sierre-Zinal He’s gone back to watch the race numerous times over the past three decades both because he’s still hailed as a past champion and because it’s in his blood (The footprints of each of the race’s champions are commemorated in a plaster-casted “wall of fame” near the finish line in Zinal.) Vigil will be back on the starting line to run with many of the event’s past winners and legendary runners and slither to the finish line,” he jokes.) He’s also looking forward to witnessing the pure grit and grind of fast-paced mountain running he so cherished when he was a younger man “We didn’t have all this high tech stuff but it was super badass running,” Vigil recalls “It’s different from what’s evolved in ultrarunning The tone that was set in mountain running back then was about kicking ass or getting your ass kicked and at the front of the pack at Sierre-Zinal and tech with access to unlimited digital content from Outside Network's iconic brands European Masters prize money: Check out how much DP World Tour golfers are competing for at Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland Matthew Fitzpatrick The DP World Tour heads to Switzerland for the Omega European Masters.  the tournament represents the second event of the Tour's 'Back 9' swing.  The swing offers increased Race to Dubai points ahead of the season-ending DP World Tour playoffs.  The Omega European Masters has a total prize purse of $3,250,000.  That means the winner will take home $552,500, which is $42,500 less than what Denmark's Niklas Norgaard took home when he clinched last week's British Masters at The Belfry.  Ludvig Aberg is the reigning champion of the European Masters, but the Swede is absent this week after he underwent surgery on his knee.  The field is headlined by England's Matthew Fitzpatrick.  Fitzpatrick has won the tournament twice and is playing the European Masters for the eighth time.  GolfMagic has listed all of the payout information below for the European Masters.  Don't forget to check back in at the end of the week to see how much they all won.  equipment reviews and promotions direct to your inbox For more information, read our Privacy Policy he assumes the position of content manager.  © Crash Media Group Ltd 2025.The total or partial reproduction of text photographs or illustrations is not permitted in any form Released from his Swiss League contract yesterday the Canadian will spend the rest of the season in the Liiga Trading a long river valley between high mountains for vast planes with big lakes - Josh Lawrence seems willing to make that move. With HC Sierre until yesterday the forward is joining the Lahden Pelicans instead for the remainder of the season The Pelicans are currently inhabiting the 14th (of 16) spot in the Liiga Adding a player with 20 goals and 24 assists over the same amount of games might give them the necessary boost to avoid any form of relegation halting production at Chippis' major aluminum plant near Sierre The bridge between Chippis and Sierre was closed