With a first 1-2-finish in the books yesterday, Swabia based race squad Centurion-Vaude has added another 1-2 punch on the penultimate day of the 18th Craft BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma. Markus Kaufmann and Jochen Kaess secured victory on the second to last stage of the Alps crossing race, which led via 88.78 km and 2,530 metres of climbing from San Martino di Castrozza to Levico Terme, in 3:20.07,4 edging out their Austrian teammates Daniel Geismayr and Hermann Pernsteiner to the second rank.
However, by coming in just 7 tenths of a second behind of the yellow jerseys the second Centurion-Vaude duo piled up the pressure on the third rank of the overall classification which is currently held by Alban Lakata and Kristian Hynek.
The penultimate stage of the 2015 #Transalp from @San Martino di Castrozza to @Levico Terme was a nice little appetizer on what to expect tomorrow. Some nice climbing, a bit of descending and a lake to jump in. Here is our #60seconds clip for today! Hope you like it!…
Posted by BIKE Transalp on Friday, 24 July 2015
Topeak Ergon Racing crossed the finish line next to the lake in third position (3:21.36,7) and therefore defended a tiny lead of 17 seconds over their pursuers Geismayr and Pernsteiner.
Overall second ranked Team Bulls with Karl Platt and Urs Huber finished in fourth position (3:22.22,6) after the German seven-time Transalp winner and his teammate had lost some precious time in the last descent due to a flat (Platt).
Like yesterday, both Centurion-Vaude teams had upped the tempo right after the neutralised start phase trying to build up a decent lead in the climbs to Malga Tognola, Passo Cinque Croci and Malga Coste which would make life easier for them in the downhill rides.
“Our tactic worked out fine! After the first days I thought that it would be a very hard task to defend the title, but now we are getting better and better each day. I’m very proud that we earned another 1-2 finish again,” said Kaufmann, who – together with Jochen Kaess and if no technical defects or crashes get between – could write Transalp history with the first ever title hat-trick.
Both will enter the final stage to Lake Garda with a lead of 8.37 minutes on Team Bulls 1 which makes racing pretty comfortable especially as their rivals have to expect an attack on the third – and maybe – second overall rank. Geismayr and Pernsteiner who are currently sitting in fourth position are only 2.32 minutes behind of the Bulls pros and only 17 seconds behind of Topeak Ergon.
“The race for the podium is on. We underlined today again that it has been only the flat a few days ago which threw us back. We are in a very good shape and hope to keep the momentum. We will give everything to make it to the podium,” explained Geismayr combatively.
Three teams close to perfect race
While the battle for the podium spots behind of Centurion Vaude 1 is the most thrilling one in the men category, three more race leaders have the chance to bring home a clean slate.
Massimo de Bertolis and Andreas Laner of Wilier Force Squadra Corse 1 (3:46.3,6) as well as Hansjuerg Gerber and Baerti Bucher of Bikeholiday.ch/BiXS (4:02.32,8) or Sally Bigham and Christina Kollmann of Topeak Ergon Racing (4:11.10,0) continued dominating the masters, grand masters and women category being still unbeaten.
In the mixed class, Silke Schidt and Sascha Schwindling of Team Herzlichst Zypern 1 clinched the sixth stage in 4:06.44,0 and are also looking safe to bring home the Transalp title in their category.
The final stage of the Craft BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma will lead over 74.75 km and 2,555 metres of climbing from Levico Terme across the Bocca Vaiona to Riva del Garda. The start is scheduled for 9 AM CET.
Full results are online.