Lucky second stage win for leading duo Glorieux and Michels | Misfortune for Team Privée

Press Release / 27.06.2017

Overall leaders Frederic Glorieux and Bob Michels have claimed victory on the second stage of the 2017 TOUR Transalp, which led over 139.79 kilometres and 2,611 metres of climbing from Imst via Timmelsjoch to Naturns today, in a thrilling photo finish of four teams (4:07:14,6). However, the Belgians racing for Prostyle-Grinta! capitalised on a mistake of their rivals.

Stefano Cecchini and Guiseppe Di Salvo, who had set the pace of the ten-person leading group during the crossing of the Timmelsjoch and successfully broke away in the swift descend to the Passeier Valley finally missed a turn and therefore the stage win.

Instead of celebrating on the top of the podium, both Italians of Team Privée came in as 19th team of the men's classifier (4:31.41,4) losing more than 24 minutes in the battle for the Transalp title.

By contrast, things went better for Team Imst Tourismus 2 with Daniel Pechtl and Thomas Gschnitzer. The two Austrians came in as overall fourth missing a better result in the close home stretch sprint behind of masters pairings Mathias Nothegger (AUT) and Hans Peter Obwaller (AUT) of www.nom-training.com (4:07.15,1) as well as Stefan Oettl (GER) and Bart Bury (BEL) of Team corratec 1 (4:07.15,3) but took second in the men's classifier (4:07.15,7).

Before, the top four duos had been risking a lot in their pursuit of the Italians while trying to minimise the gap in the descend from Timmelsjoch to Cecchini and Di Salvo – and almost had been pushing it too much. Both tyres of Bob Michels suddenly jammed and the 2015 runner-up seemed to slide into the crash barrier. "I was sure that he would crash," recalled Hans Peter Obwaller the dangerous situation which took place right in front of him.

"That was a scary moment for me. We try to minimise the risks; for one thing because I already crashed in a downhill last year and for another thing because we have kids back home," explained the almost unlucky sort who was able to avoid the spill at the last second.

In the end, Michels and his partner had the strongest legs to come out successful of the photo finish decision. Thanks to their second stage win, the man in the Yellow Jerseys were able to defend their lead of 38 seconds over Pechtl/Gschnitzer.

Germany's Christian Dengler and Maximilian Hornung of Herrmann Radteam came in third of the men category (4:12.03,6).

Change of lead in grand masters category

In the grand masters classification, Silvano Ianes and Paolo Decarli of Team Garda Trentino Unterthurner Carina celebrated their first stage win (4:15.49,9).

Both Italian racers were able to edge off Team corratec 3 with Bernd Hornetz and Erwin Hickl from Germany to the runner-up position (4:15.50,3) in another sprint decision therefore also taking over the lead in the category for the oldest teams (combined age of 100+).

While the engaged Austrian couple Daniela Pintarelli and Andreas Traxl of Team Mooserwirt – traxlradsport.at secured a back-to-back win in the mixed category in 4:21.04,5, Italy's Letizia Grottoli and Marcellina Dossi of monture garda trentino did so, too, in the women's event (4:57.16,9).

Tomorrow's third stage of the 2017 TOUR Transalp with start at 9 AM CEST will lead from Naturns via the Vinschgau High Alpine Road and the legendary Stelvio Pass to Bormio.

In total, racers have to master 97.80 kilometres and 3,025 metres of climbing.

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