Organisers of the 2011 Craft Bike Transalp have announced eight of the nine towns that will host competitors in the eight-stage race across Germany, Austria and Italy.
The race will begin in Mittenwald, Germany on July 16, 2011 and will cover the longest distance of its 14 year history. The race will finish some 670 kilometres later at Lake Garda, Italy on July 23. Competitors will journey from Germany to Austria, where Mayrhofen and an as-yet-unnamed village will host riders on the opening three stages.
The race will then move onto Italian soil, with the South Tyrol towns of St. Vigil and Brixen to host stage finishes/starts. The towns of Alleghe and Transalp newcomer San Martino di Castrozza will precede the penultimate stage into Trento.
Always a challenging course, next year’s edition will feature 21,504 metres of climbing, with the 1,400 metre ascent from Brixen to Wuerzjoch named as the queen climb of the event.
“[The Dolomites are] the best mountain range in the world,” said Race Director Uli Stanciu. “The third, fourth and fifth stages will be a panoramic dream come true. In addition, we have superb stage towns. I expect 2011 will see the most beautiful Transalp we’ve ever had.”
Returning racers and newcomers alike will also get a treat with more than 60 per cent of the course to cover new trails. “Five stages are brand new, including some epic trails,” explained Stanciu. “Take the Strada de la Vena on the course from Brixen to Alleghe. It’s 15 kilometres of singletrack and it’s super nice to ride.”
The early bird gets the worm
Registration for the event opens on December 14, 2010 at 12:00CET on the race website. Organisers are once again expecting entries to the event to sell out fast, with the 550 places available for teams of two usually snapped up within minutes of registration opening.
So set the date above in your calendar and for those outside Europe set your alarm to ensure you don’t miss out on one of the world’s most spectacular mountain-bike stage races.