Hannes Genze (GER) and Andreas Kugler (SUI) clinched the queen’s stage of the Craft Bike Transalp from Livigno, Italy, to Ponte di Legno, Italy, today due to a sensational comeback and outstanding downhill skills thus repeating their 2010 victory on the same course. Team Multivan Merida Biking secured their first 2012 Transalp stage win after 106.29 kilometers and 3,451 meters in elevation (4:46:46.5) in a finish sprint .
Urs Huber (SUI) and Konny Looser (SUI) of Team Stöckli came in second (4:46:47.2) and took over the third rank of the overall ranking because of the abandonment of Team Bulls due to illness.
Stage winners Hannes Genze (GER) in front and Andreas Kugler (SUI) of Multivan Merida Biking. © Sportograf
While the two racers stepped up one spot in the ranking, Alban Lakata (AUT) and Robert Mennen (GER) of Topeak Ergon Racing jumped on the top spot of the table by finishing today’s race in 4:46:50.8 hours and thus in third position, 1:45 minutes ahead of the Yellow Jerseys who came in fourth today (4:48:35.8).
Markus Kaufmann and Thomas Stoll (SUI) are now some 30 seconds behind sitting in second position of the overall ranking. However, both still have two more days left to attack.
According to the re-shuffling of the ranking, Alban Lakata was pretty pleased with the successful attack on the leader jerseys: “I’m very happy that it worked out today. It was a very hard stage, especially as it was very hot out there.”
Alban Lakata missed on on a stage win for the first time in five days. © Craft Bike Transalp/Peter Musch
The 2010 Marathon World Champion and his German team partner Mennen launched the decisive attack in the climb to the last out of four passes, the feared Passo Mortirolo, side by side with Team Stöckli and were able to break away bringing home the gained lead.
“I hope that we will have strong legs again over the course of the next two days and that we will be able to defend the #1 spot,” added Lakata.
However, the dethroned and thus former bearers of the Yellow Jerseys, who actually also have to fight some health problems, are willing to give the new leaders a hard fight.
“We aren’t disappointed. It was an honor to have the Yellow Jerseys for four days. Now, we are 30 seconds behind. That’s nothing. If we recover well, we will certainly seek our chances again,” explained reigning German Marathon Champion Markus Kaufmann.
We wish all the riders luck with withdrawals from vistas like this. © Craft Bike Transalp/Peter Musch
Multivan Merida Biking happy about unexpected win
While the two top teams are having a tough fight for the 2012 Transalp title, the Multivan Merida Biking Team came out successfully of a sprint duel with Team Stöckli for the stage win.
“We didn’t expect this as I had a very bad first half of the tour and as we were already two minutes behind at the second intermediate on Passo Mortirolo. But we had nothing to lose and pushed the pedal to the metal. It’s amazing that we caught up again. In the end, I guess our experience paid off,” said Genze.
Indeed, Urs Huber had crossed the finish line first but his comrade-in-arms Konny Looser was beaten by Multivan Merida. After finishing in the runner-up position for the third consecutive time Huber said: “Well, I’m pleased, especially as we had some real problems in the beginning of the Transalp. But now it’s time for a stage win.”
First win for Press Riva del Garda
Mixed stage winners Lorenza Menapace (ITA) and Claudio Segata (ITA). © Craft Bike Transalp/Peter Musch
In the mixed category. Team Press Riva del Garda was the fourth duo coming out first. Lorenza Menapace (ITA) and Claudio Segata (ITA) mastered the sixth Transalp stage in 5:52:32.3 thus cementing their second rank in the mixed classifier.
Antonia Wipfli (SUI) and Patrick Jauch (SUI) of leading Team Gisler came in second (5:53:08.7) while Daniela Storch (GER) and Torsten Mützlitz (GER) of Scott freaky fi’zi:k Friends finished third (5.59:48.2).
Lorenza Menapace’s (ITA) mixed stage win appears to have had strange effects. © Craft Bike Transalp/Peter Musch
Team Adamelloski with six-peat
Just like the days before, Massimo De Bertolis (ITA) and Marzio Deho (ITA) were once again unbeatable in the master category (4:56:11.5). Quite the contrary, the Blue Jerseys mixed it in the elite classifier by nailing the fifth overall rank.
Second rank went to Andreas Laner (ITA) and Johann Grasegger (GER) of Team Scott (5:21:26.1), the third rank to Viktor Paris (ITA) and Thomas Piazza (ITA) of Sunshineracers Nals (5:29:09.7).
The two mountain bikers residing in South Tyrol rolled in more than 30 minutes ahead of Anton Warter (AUT) and Heinz Zörweg (AUT) of Cube Factory (5:26:33.8) thus edging off the Austrians from rank three in the master class.
Swiss Senior Masters on the road to their first title
Massimo De Bertolis (ITA) and Marzio Deho (ITA) in the Blue Jerseys of Team Adamelloski. © Craft Bike Transalp/Peter Musch
Bringing home their third consecutive stage win (5:51:32.6), Renato Burch (SUI) and Bärti Bucher (SUI) of BiXS Suisse underlined their claim to the senior master title in the category reserved for the teams with a total age of 100+.
Georg Niggl (GER) and Walter Perkmann (ITA) of CRAFT and Friends 7 secured rank two (6:07:49.6) while Thomas Herrmann (GER) and Hartmann Stifter (ITA) of Team Sigma rounded out the podium as third (6:10:08.5).
Women leaders kill it on queen’s stage
Milena Landtwing (SUI) and Sally Bigham (GBR) still don’t show mercy for their rivals. Team Centurion-Vaude/Topeak Ergon crossed the finish line in Ponte di Legno after 5:50:44.9 hours and therefore was 43 minutes faster than Catherine Williamson (GBR) and Louise Stopforth (RSA) of Bizhub-fcf (6:34:22.2).
Andrea Kuster (SUI) and Angelika Niklaus (SUI) of Team Metz-Kraftwerk once again brought home a podium result finishing third (7:01:42:4).
The seventh and penultimate stage of the 2012 Craft Bike Transalp leads over 72.25 kilometers and 3,234 meters in elevation from Ponte di Legno, Italy, to Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, tomorrow.
Riders pay attention as they descend on stage six. © Craft Bike Transalp/Peter Musch