2014 Craft BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma

With only two months remaining until the start of the 2014 Craft Bike Transalp powered by Sigma I though it time to start reviewing the 2014 course. This will be my third Transalp and I am pumped to be racing alongside team mate Stu Spies, a prominent member of our UK faction.

Stu is currently ensconced in a pattern of road racing that is not all together unfamiliar “eat, sleep, bike repeat” but I trust soon enough he will be starting his upper body strength training to push-tow-drag me kicking, screaming and sobbing through the alps. The course was released late last year and is available in its full glory on the Craft Bike Transalp webpage but here is a summation of the climbs that cannot be denied any further.

There’s a lot of up in Transalp. Photo: Sportograf

“From July 20 thru 26, 2014, the route will exclusively go past well-known stage towns whilst also providing a varying and extremely exciting design due to the arrangement of the stage towns and partly brand new legs.

“Our goal is to host the most fascinating race, not the hardest. That’s for sure,” says Marc Schneider, Race Director of the Craft BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma.”

The Germans are good with directions.

This year the course differs from previous years as it is a day shorter, a mere seven days, but similar to two years ago the race starts in Oberammergau (Germany) and passes through Imst and Nauders in Austria. The field will then pedal to South Tyrol through Naturns, Sarnthein and Kaltern, the route then leads deeper into Italy where the mountain bikers stop over in Trento before finally arriving at Riva del Garda on the shore of Lake Garda. The course route for the Craft Bike Transalp varies on an alternate year plan but always starts in Germany and finishes in beautiful Riva del Garda, the route in between can take an easterly or a westerly path with equally beautiful stage trails and towns on each.

“Participants can look forward to race highlights worth riding featuring the Via Claudia to Naturns, trail fireworks into the Vinschgau area as well as some downhill blast in the Sarn Valley before exploring some hidden trails to Trento…and the final leg to Riva del Garda is brand new”

Check bike-translp  for more detailed information on the 2014 routing.

“The Craft Bike Transalp powered by Sigma is the most famous stage race for mountain bike teams of two. From its first edition in 1998 until 2013, the routing led in eight stages from Germany across the main chain of the Alps to Italy”.

Stage details