The long wait has finally come to an end. After a long break, the TOUR Transalp started its 18th round today in perfect conditions and against the picturesque backdrop of Lake Reschen. In a great mood and with fresh legs, the participants set off on the first stage of the seven-day road bike stage race. 77 kilometres and 1370 metres in altitude had to be covered from Lake Reschen to Zernez.
On panoramic roads to Zernez
After an almost complete circuit of Lake Reschen with a view of the sunken tower and the imposing Ortler group, we crossed the Reschen Pass into Austria. Here, in Nauders, the Norbertshöhe awaited, which, once the race pace allowed, offered magnificent views. A little later, the riders reached the Swiss border at the Inn in Martina. Over panoramic, but extremely unrhythmic little roads with short, but tough climbs, the route led through historic Graubünden villages, some of whose charm certainly remained hidden from the fast field of riders. In more moderate terrain, the route finally led right down by the river to the finish in Zernez.
The comparatively short first stage was particularly challenging due to the varied terrain and high temperatures. But the athletes did not take it easy on themselves. With the consistently high pace, there was no time to catch their breath. "Despite the shortness of the stage, the sporting demands were high today. The riders really stepped up the pace right from the start," explained Marc Schneider, Head of Cycling Events at Delius Klasing Verlag.
1:46 hours for the fastest men's team
There was therefore no time for the racing cyclists to enjoy the scenic charm and idyllic village life to the full, and the first cyclists of the day in particular did not allow themselves any panoramic views. The fastest men's team of Benjamin Witt and Philip Peitzmeier (Team Strassacker 2) crossed the finish line after just 1:46.38.6 hours, followed by Nils Kessler and Moritz Palm (Team Strassacker 1/radsport-news.com) with a time of 1:47.59.1 hours. Third place in the men's category went to Erik Franssen and Stefan Verhaaf (Stipbike Racing Team) with a time of 1:47.59.6h.
Kerstin Kaiser and Luisa Zimmermann from Team Kartoffelclub secured victory in the women's team category with a time of 2:23.26.8 hours. Second place went to Carmen Krebs and Karina Steffan from TSV Karlstadt Mädels. Third place went to Gitta Fernau and Petra Marton from Team Genussschnecken.
In the mixed category, Chiara Doni and Francesco Visconti (Team Hypertech pb Castelli) crossed the finish line after 1:54.08.5h to take the top step on the podium. Tina Büttner and Johannes Wagner (drahtesel-lützelbach.de) took second place with a time of 1:57.53.1h. Third place went to Laura Tibitanzl and Philipp Tibitanzl (Team greybee), who crossed the finish line after 1:58.46.8h.
To Bormio over the Stelvio Pass
Tomorrow's second stage leads from Zernez to Bormio. 102 kilometres and 2760 metres in altitude have to be mastered. A particular highlight: the famous Stelvio Pass with its 48 hairpin bends. The weather forecast is good and the participants are in a good mood. So we can look forward to a wonderful second stage.
Further information and all results can be found at: https://tour-transalp.de
