The road to the TOUR Transalp 2024: Nina and Oliver take on the Diasporal Alpen Challenge

We received over 250 applications and had to read more than 250 letters of motivation. What a tough task it was to pick just one team for the TOUR Transalp 2024 from all the applications! We read all the applications, shortlisted a few and finally drew lots to decide. In the final step, the team had to accept. And now there's no turning back: Nina Helbig and Oliver Lüs from Halle an der Saale are our team for the TOUR Transalp 2024.

The 7 stages of the TOUR Transalp 2024

1. Lienz - Sillian
2. Sillian - Moena
3. Moena - San Martino
4. San Martino - San Zenone
5. San Zenone - Lavarone
6. Lavarone - Kaltern
7. Kaltern - Riva del Garda

The two couldn't quite believe their luck when we sent them the notification by e-mail.

>> 5 reasons to ride the TOUR Transalp in 2024

>> The route of the TOUR Transalp 2024

Nina and Oliver - the Diasporal Alps Challenge Team

Nina Helbig (39) and Oliver Lüs (42) from Halle an der Saale are competing as Team Diasporal Alpen Challenge. As you can imagine, they got to know each other through cycling. Both have been cycling for around 10 years. And they clock up a lot of kilometres every year. Nina rides up to 34,000 kilometres a year, about 20 hours a week. She also organises and leads group rides in Halle. Oliver manages up to 20,000 kilometres a year. As the terrain around Halle tends to be flat, they both prefer to spend their holidays together in the Alps. In 2023, the Stoneman Dolomiti Silver and the Triplo Stelvio were two of their highlight tours.

They are highly motivated to tackle not only events such as the Mecklenburger Seenrunde, the Spreewald Marathon and the Triple Stelvio, but also to apply as a team for the Diasporal Alpenchallenge and prepare for the TOUR Transalp.

I certainly don't have a motivation problem. - Nina Helbig

Nina and Oliver share a great passion for cycling. Nina describes herself as more of a lively type, whereas Oliver is the calm counterpart. They have been meticulously following the TOUR Transalp for at least two years and have one or two eyes on it. "Crossing the Alps has been on our wish list for some time," says the team's application. They are delighted that their participation in the TOUR Transalp is now a reality. This is shown by the communication with the team, the questions that come up and how far advanced the organisational preparation for the event has already been for the two of them. They would probably have preferred to set off immediately for performance diagnostics and bike fitting. But they will have to wait a little longer. The appointments take place in mid-February. And they will receive their training plan a little later. We are following the Diasporal Alpen Challenge team as they prepare for the TOUR Transalp 2024 and will be reporting on their progress.

The challenge partner: Diasporal

Together with Magnesium-Diasporal we, TOUR, are realising the Alpen Challenge. Magnesium-Diasporal is a brand of Protina Pharmazeutische GmbH. Protina develops, distributes and manufactures high-quality mineral preparations as medicines and food supplements.