Transalp Title Contenders

Jeantex Bike Transalp 2009

Transalp Title Contenders

New Release / 20.07.2009

Team Bulls are ready for three-peat victory while the Ladies' title defenders have to cancel and this affects the mixed classification

The twelfth JEANTEX BIKE TRANSALP powered by NISSAN kicks off in Mittenwald in two days at 10 AM. A total of 550 teams of two will tackle the 634.71 kilometres and 22,117 metres of altitude from the Karwendel region to Riva del Garda - including some of the world's best pros as well as mountain bikers coming from 40 countries.

Once again, Team Bulls members Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm are the top favourites for the title.
Both will try to add another victory to their 2007 and 2008 triumphs which would allow them to celebrate a three-peat at the world's most recognised stage race for mountain bike riders.

But on their way to glory, the two German poster athletes not only have to face a strong competition but also have to handle a health-related issue. Osthofen resident Platt still suffers from recurring problems with his left shoulder ever since a crash in the early season.

Their main opponents are coming from their own team as reigning French Champion Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme also want to pedal as fast as possible through the Alps. Another top pairing is the Multivan Merida Biking Team consisting of the 2005 European Champion Hannes Genze and 2005 ECS runner-up Andreas Kugler (SUI).

In addition, South Africans Kevin Evans and David George from the MTN Energade 1 Team are strong climbers. The Swiss hopes are pinned on 2008 National Champion Lukas Buchli and his team mate from BiXS iXS Pro Team Thomas Stoll. Alban Lakata who just recently won his third Austrian Championships could also play a major role in the ranking as he will enter the stage race together with his Topeak-Ergon Racing colleague Dave Wiens. However, the 44 year-old US-American is the unknown factor as no one can imagine how well the Cross Country legend will master the ascents in the Alps.

Some other tough calls come from Costa Rica. Two pairings of the Citi Economy Blue Team consisting of cycling pro Marconi Duran and National Champion Deiber Esquivel as well of Jonathan Carballo and Enrique Artavia will aim to tie on to the good results participants from the Middle American country have brought home so far.

But there are more teams which are strong enough to surprise the named teams. For example Team Texpa Simplon with the duos Lukas Gerum and Roland Golderer as well as Alexander Pscheidl and Jan Schmidt will give in their best just like Markus Kaufmann and Andreas Strobel (Vaude-Simplon), Rocky Mountain bikers Carsten Bresser and Volker Ordowski as well as former cycling pro Udo Boelts and his Cube colleague Silvio Wieltschnig (AUT).

Ladies' Defending Title Champions Steps Down

On the ladies' side, Alison Sydor (CAN) and Pia Sundstedt (FIN) won't be able to keep hold on their title as the Finnish racer had to cancel her start due to a herniated disc. Because of this, Kerstin Brachtendorf and DaniÃ¨le Troesch (FRA) from Fiat-Rotwild are supposed to be the ladies to beat in the battle for the Red Jersey.

Recipe for enthralling duels in the Mixed classification.

As Sundstedt won't start this year due to the impairment to health, Alison Sydor now will aim for the title in the Mixed category. The 1996 Olympic runner-up will enter the Transalp together with her 16 years younger Rocky Mountain team colleague Daniel Gathof. While pedaling for the Orange Jersey, both have to face Milena Landtwing who triumphed in 2008.

The Swiss rider will form the Rothaus-Cube team together with her new partner Sam Beaten (BEL) who placed fourth last year with Heike Hundertmark. The several-times German University Champion enters the competition with Markus Derjung as Team Cube/Zillertal Arena. Team Cube 2 consisting of Kristine Norgaard (DEN) and Werner Wagner will also try to put their stamp on this classification.

A Long Lasting Duel Between 2 Master Pairings

On the side of the teams with a total age of more than 80 years, a duel looms which has dominated the Master category of the JEANTEX BIKE TRANSALP powered by NISSAN over the past years. In 2008, Ekkehard Doerschlag and Heinz Zoerweg from Team KTM were once again victorious thus clinching the aimed for three-peat relegating their main contenders Johann Grasegger and Walter Platzgummer (ITA) to the second spot.

However, the German-Italian Scott-Adidas Team is in cheerful spirits as they were ahead of the Austrians by a short head in 2005.

Clear the ground for Senior Master title holders

Also in the category for the oldest participants where each team has to be - summed up - older than 100 years the reigning champions will line up in Mittenwald. If everything runs smoothly it should be no problem for Ferdinand Ganser and Georg Niggl from RSC Logwin Kempten to take home the Transalp crown again.See All Event Posts