By clinching their second stage at the 16th Craft BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma Markus Kaufmann (GER) and Jochen Kaess (GER) were able to extend their lead in the overall ranking. Centurion-Vaude 1 killed the previous record on the 73.28 km and 3,137 metres stage from Alleghe to San Martino di Castrozza in 3:26:16.2 hours […]
Stoll and Looser triumph in Stage 4 of Transalp
No one would have expected a stage finish like this: Swiss racers Thomas Stoll and Konny Looser, who had been shaken off in the last climb to Rifugio Averau, secured their first win at the 2013 Craft BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma on stage four which led from St. Vigil to Alleghe in 3:29:10.4 hours. […]
Transalp: Not touring, Racing
Approaching an international mountain bike stage race, it’s nice to come in feeling fit and strong. But it pays to set your expectations too. Coming into the Craft Bike Transalp 8 day race from Mittenwald to Riva del Garda, Imogen Smith and I set our goal as top 10 on the general classification by the […]
Transalp: Push yourself and you push your team
The first day of Transalp, Mike pushed me. The second day, we pushed each other. Today, I pushed myself. Day three had some of the most intense climbing of the race. It was only a short stage, 58km, but brutal, starting with a 25km climb from 500m to 2400m, and chased by technical descending and […]
Stu Spies’ Blog: Get out of the box and into the race
Top 50, we better, top 40, doable, top 30….oof! So Northern Monkey aka Matt bridge, harbinger of hurt, had set us some straight forward goals, I liked these, I agreed. I’m a 4 time vet of Transalp, this is Bridgey’s 3rd, so we are wise, respectful of the event and the raft of ups and […]
Transalp: When it all falls into place
Having a good day on the bike is a brilliant experience. You rail corners, you feel good on the climbs, there are no wrong turns, and the weather is great. Having a good day on the bike while racing is a more unique experience, especially when it’s in a paired stage race. Yesterday was a […]
10 things you need to know about Euro racing
If you’re an antipodean coming to Europe to race for the first time like Imogen Smith, you’re probably prepared for big hills, dramatic landscapes, and hard racing. But here’s a few things Imo picked up that you can’t prepare for… 1. Eurobombing The way Euros descend on gravel is so distinctive there’s actually a special […]
Transalp: Building rapport before the race
Part of getting older and more experienced with your riding and racing is recognising your habits and patterns. Be they good or bad, at least when you are aware of your strengths and weaknesses it’s easier to work with or around them. I’m a creature of habit, and from the outside it would seem like […]