MTB-News / Everyone: Next Sunday the 19th BIKE Transalp will start in Imst. For the first time, 'The mother of all MTB stage races' starts outside of Germany - from the Tyrolean starting point, the route takes the participants over 519,51 km and 17.751 meters in altitude (!). The favorites for overall victory come from the Centurion-Vaude and Team Bulls teams. Lennard Heidenreich will also start with his partner Alexander.
Although Imst in Tirol is the starting point for the BIKE Transalp for the first time, it is by no means a 'newcomer' to the route of the stage race: the participants have passed the village in the Upper Inn Valley several times in recent years on their way across the Alps. According to the organizers, the decision was made to change the starting point, simply to avoid boredom. "[This is] ultimately due to our mission not to let the route of the BIKE Transalp become boring and to keep creating excitement with new ideas," said race director Marc Schneider. Not only the starting point is new, but also the finish in Arco - in recent years the BIKE Transalp has almost traditionally ended in Riva on Lake Garda.
The route of the BIKE Transalp 2016
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The role of the favorites is also fairly clear this year – the two defending champions from Centurion-Vaude, Markus Kaufmann and Jochen Käß, want to repeat their success from last year. The signs are good: Markus Kaufmann won the German championship last weekend. The duo faces competition from Team Bulls, among others: Urs Huber and Karl Platt were already able to triumph at the Cape Epic in South Africa a few weeks ago and would of course be only too happy to celebrate at the end of the BIKE Transalp in Arco.
For our blogger Lennard Heidenreich, who has already ridden the TOUR Transalp this year and was able to achieve a sensational second place in the Salzkammergut Trophy at the weekend, the BIKE Transalp is the highlight of the season for which he has set himself big goals. Together with his well-rehearsed partner Alexander, he will explore what is possible - we keep our fingers crossed and look forward to what he will have to report in his blog.
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