Team Corratec Blog: After team building and team training camps and the first build-up race, Team Corratec faced the special challenge of a major international tour, the Giro Sardegna, with 7 riders. Drivers from over 20 nations with their top teams traditionally delivered a hard, sporty, exciting but always fair exchange of blows from the first kilometer. Six demanding stages had to be mastered from April 21st to 27.04.2018th, XNUMX.
The six stages included four road races, including a hilltop finish, as well as an individual time trial and a spectacular team time trial. The stages all had their own special character. The terrain of the tour was only flat along the coast, in the lonely hinterland on the east coast of Sardinia one climb followed the other, sometimes up to 20 km long, as in the king's stage on Wednesday with 2500 meters in altitude. The two time trial routes were rather flat, but there were many technically difficult passages. The Corratec team was of course motivated and there were 2 clear goals: on the one hand they wanted to use the 6 stages as perfect racing and team training for the highlights of the 2018 season, on the other hand it was clear that the team and each individual should strive for top positions . And both succeeded perfectly: In retrospect, it exceeded all expectations in the team. From the first stage onwards, the tour team put its “stamp” on it. The Corratec team won the team ratings on 5 of the 6 stages and had fought hard for and earned the much-noticed team victory of the tour.
The tour was offered in 2 route variants, the Medio Giro and the Grand Giro. Both routes ran mostly on the same route, but the races started at different times. The Medio Giro was only a few kilometers shorter in 3 stages. 6 team riders started at the Grand Giro, the youngest in the corratec team - the 18-year-old Philippine Corratec friend Tomas Mojares "had" / was allowed to start at the Medio Giro because of his youth: in the class 18 - 29 years! All others start together at the Grand Giro.
At the start of the Grand Giro for the Corratec team: The young South Tyrolean Michael Spögler from the Sarntal, new to the team since 2018, who could become another top performer. Michael Markolf, the most consistent driver of the 2017 season with great success in almost all his starts. The two Michi's were also the team leaders of the tour and will also contest the Tour Transalp in 2018 as Team Corratec 1 with good chances. Plus our veterans and ultra cycle marathon specialists Stefan Oettl and Martin Reisner. Kolbermoorer Roland was new to the team
Döring, a locally well-known, extremely strong marathon and mountain biker, and Ramon Mira de Orduna, a specialist in demanding road races and Masters World Championships.
Each stage had its own story, with positive and less positive moments. The 3rd stage was also very "special": the team leader Michael Spögler was allowed to start in the yellow leader's jersey, which he had worn the day before with the ultra-fast corratec C-Time time trial machine
had fought for. Protected and supported by the entire team, everything ran like clockwork on the fast and only flat stage, even though Martin Reisner unfortunately suffered a flat tire on the otherwise perfect roads and lost contact with the leaders. The Corratec team was compactly in the lead up to 13 kilometers from the finish, up to a bumpy, winding through-town, everything seemed to be going according to plan. Michael Spögler flattened his front shortly before a tight right-hand bend and had to go down. Driver and his Corratec CCT Evo Team Edition were fine, thank goodness: "Only" the front wheel was ready: Ramon and the team service were there immediately and the problem could be solved quickly. But there was a crucial gap to the front, which was difficult to close in the few remaining kilometers. Michael Markolf and Stefan Oettl immediately dropped back from the lead. The trio organized a team time trial worth seeing and was able to close the gap to a ridiculous 50 seconds. The chances in the Corratec team were curtailed all around and for everyone, even if Michael Spögler was still able to hold 3rd place in the tour ranking. This “black” Tuesday stage then welded the team even closer together. The next few days were all very successful and there were awards at the daily awards ceremonies
lots of nice podium places to celebrate. A highlight should then be the big team time trial - and it was then: With one
Victory with an impressive 51 average speed and 12 seconds ahead of the next team. The young Tomas Mojares, meanwhile decorated with 3rd place in a difficult mountain stage and 5th place overall in the individual time trial, skilfully drove the 6-man team and brought
it quickly and compactly on the track. Roland Döring and Ramon Mira de Ordnuna gave their all at their change, before Spögler, Markolf and Oettl created a powerful final with wattages of 450 watts and more. The strategy was a bit risky, but "only" the time of the third person counted, but with a bit of luck it paid off.
The last stage, a mountain arrival, was then almost euphorically shaped by the entire Team Corratec driver, with a huge portion of motivation in their luggage. The start and the first endurance test of the 2018 season went very well. Everyone was strong and will surely become even stronger after this start. And everyone was able and allowed to learn something new, for themselves, for the teamwork and the team.
The next block of races starts on May 20.05.2018th, 245 at the Imster Cycle Marathon. Then it goes on in quick succession, Amade Cycle Marathon in Radstadt, Corratec Highlight Glocknerkönig, SuperDolomiti Cycle Marathon over 5500 km with XNUMX m ascent, Tour Transalp and the legendary Engadin Cycle Marathon: Everyone and the team are ready to give their best and are already looking forward to the training to new sporting adventures.