The Transalp MTB stage race is a classic event for mountain bikers in love with mountains. It’s traveres the Alps from North to South, and is a real journey as you race from Germany to Italy, usually…
Just a few weeks prior to the official registration start for the 2016 BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma, organisers have unveiled the new course design – and therefore surprised by coming up with some innovations.
The seven-day mountain bike stage race will take place from July 17th till 23rd, 2016 and encompass a total of 519.51 km and 17,751 metres of climbing.
For the first time ever, the race won’t start in Germany. Next year, Imst, Austria will be the first stage town to break with the 18-year tradition of hosting the Transalp start in Germany.
“We picked Imst to meet our own expectations of providing a BIKE Transalp routing which never gets boring and always has something new for the racers,” explained Race Director Marc Schneider.
It’s fair to say the starts in Germany often made for a very plain first day, that was mostly about getting to Austria and into the mountains as fast as possible. The stages were often fast and flat early on, and the racing could be nervous at best, and dangerous if wet.
Leaving Imst, the field of pros and amateurs alike will travel through Tyrol to Nauders just like 2014 and from there across the Austrian border. But unlike two years ago, the route won’t lead to South Tyrol but to Switzerland.
After a stop in Scuol, the teams of two will enter Italy and pedal from Livigno via new stage towns of Bormio and Mezzana to Trento.
“Both new stage towns, Bormio and Mezzana, offer fantastic opportunities for a creative route set-up,” says Schneider who also adds that “the route itself will be just about the limit!”
Especially as also the very last stage of the race week will feature something brand new. After nine consecutive years of wrapping things up in Riva del Garda the BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma will conclude in Arco which is the third new stage town for the very first time.
The full route details are listed online.