Markus Kaufmann (GER) and Jochen Kaess (GER) have clinched the third stage of the 2013 Craft BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma which led over 56.92 km and 2,833 metres in elevation from Brixen to St. Vigil. As a result, they also took over the lead in the overall ranking.
The reigning German Marathon Champion and his team mate of Centurion-Vaude 1 were able to shake off co-breakaways Alban Lakata (AUT) and Robert Mennen (GER) in last climb to Munt da Riina and secured their first stage win as well as the Yellow Jerseys with a lead of 20 second over Topeak Ergon Racing (2:51:37.9).
So far leading Team Bulls 1 racers Karl Platt (GER) and Urs Huber (SUI) came in in fourth position (2:56:36.8) behind of Thomas Stoll (SUI) and Konny Looser (SUI) of BiXS-Wheeler-iXS (2:56:13.5) and have, as now third ranked team in the classification, a gap of 1:42 minutes on the new leaders. Lakata and Mennen sit in second position being 22 seconds behind of Kaufmann/Kaess.
Kaufmann and Kaess had upped the tempo in the first climb of the day to Luesner Scharte (2,371m), the with 18km longest ascent of this year’s Transalp, and successfully broken away with Topeak Ergon Racing. Both teams subsequently extended their lead while other top teams such as Team Bulls 1 and Specialized Racing had to deal with technical problems (flat tyres).
However, the last and very steep climb to Munt da Riina, right after the descent from Wuerzjoch (1,991m), brought the decision when Robert Mennen couldn’t keep the fast pace of Centurion-Vaude 1 anymore. “Alban (Lakata) had to wait for me. We tried to keep the gap as small as possible. Alban had to do the whole work. I just kept hold of his back wheel and hoped for the finish to arrive,” explained Mennen who is still optimistic. “It’s a long way to Riva. We are happy that we could reduce the gap in the overall classifier and will fight every day again and again.”
A fact which both new leaders of Centurion-Vaude 1 definitely know about. “It’s nice to have the Yellow Jerseys. We’ll see if we can defend them until Riva del Garda. It would be awesome if we could do so,” said reigning Markus Kaufmann, who had raced in Yellow five days last year.
But Kaufmann and team mate Kaess also have to keep and eye on Team Bulls 1. “Of course we are very disappointed having lost the lead. But there are five more days to come. A lot of things can happen”, noted Urs Huber whose team mate
Kaufmenn and Kaess win Stage 3 of the 2013 Transalp, and take the lead. Photo: Oliver Krauss
Change of lead in mixed category
Just like on the men’s side of things, also the mixed category saw a change of the lead in the ranking. Due to a strong run Kristin Aamodt (NOR) and Daniel Jung (ITA) not only celebrated back-to-back stage wins (3:32:23.1) but also captured the Orange Leader Jerseys. “We noticed that the others weren’t that strong in the first climb and went hard – and this tactic paid off,” said Jung.
However, the Mountain Heroes Mix also capitalized from an accident of so far leading Bettina Uhlig (GER) and Mathias Nothegger (AUT) of Team www.1place.com/Wheeler iXS. The German racer had crashed badly in the descent from Luesner Scharte but was able to finish the stage despite being in a great deal of pain. With a gap of more than seven minutes, Uhlig and Nothegger crossed the finish line as second mix (3:39:31.1), but had a lead of only five minutes on Mountain Heroes before entering today’s stage.
“Actually, everything was under control. Mountain Heroes were a bit ahead, OK, but that wasn’t too much. But then Bettina (Uhlig) crashed and we had to take it easy,“ explained Nothegger, who, right after the finish, didn’t know if they can start tomorrow.
Rank three in the mixed category went to Annette Griner (GER) and Peter Reiche (GER) of black tusk Racing by toMotion (3:49:32.1).
Women leaders keep on commanding
Borghild Loevset (NOR) and Sally Bigham (GBR) of Topeak Ergon Racing keep on dominating the women category by securing their third stage win in 3:39:31.1 hours.
Cornelia Hug (SUI) and Andrea Faessler (SUI) of Crazy Velo Shop Scott (3:47:45.7) as well as Katrin Schwing (GER) and Lisa Pleyer (AUT) of Cancer Rehab St. Veit (3:50:23.7) rounded out today’s podium as second and third,
Master leader still ahead
On side of the teams with a combined age of 80+, Carsten Bresser (GER) and Udo Boelts (GER) keep tab on the classifier. Team Rocky Mountain/Centurion mastered this year’s second shortest stage in 3:12:00.5 hours thus relegating Johann Grasegger (GER) and Andreas Laner (ITA) of Jeep Scott (3:15:42.4) as well as Thomas Piazza (ITA) and Viktor Paris (ITA) of Team Sunshine Racer Nals (3:21:09.5) to second and third.
Grand Master are at the helm
On side of the teams with a combined age of 100+, Walter Platzgummer (ITA) and Gilberto Perini (ITA) underlined their class once again. Team Naturns Scott-Tobardo finished the stage to St. Vigil in 3:18:56.6 hours.
Baerti Bucher (SUI) and Doug Brown (RSA) of Bixs nine-twelve-sixtyone came in second (3:37:54.3) with Kevin Hines (USA) and Alec Petro (USA) of Corner Cycle taking third (3:54:27.9) like the days before.
Tomorrow’s fourth stage leads from St. Vigil over 73.79 km and 2,614 metres in elevation gain to Alleghe.