Jeantex Bike Transalp 2009
Team Bulls 2 Clinches Massed Sprint
News Release / 23.07.2009
Thomas Dietsch (FRA) and Tim Boehme from Team Bulls 2 have won the sixth stage of the 2009 JEANTEX BIKE TRANSALP powered by NISSAN, which led over 77.40 kilometres and 3,173 metres of elevation gain from Sarnthein to Kaltern, in a time of 4:00:09.8 hours. The bearers of the Yellow Jersey, Lukas Buchli and Thomas Stoll (both SUI) from BiXS iXS Pro Team (4:00:10.1) and the runner-ups in the elite category Hannes Genze and Andreas Kugler (SUI) from Multivan Merida Biking Team (4:00:11.6) sprinted to second and third rank respectively. But before, it didn't seem to work out for their first Transalp stage win as Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme had some serious problems in the final downhill section. About Matschatsch, shortly before their team's third food station, the third ranked bikers in the elite table had lost more than one minute on the top two pairings of this year's Alps crossing adventure due to a flat tyre.
It looked like another race catastrophe for the Bulls squad after a technical defect had buried Team Bulls 1 hopes for the stage win yesterday. But in contrary to the title defenders Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm, who had to quit the race this morning, the day ended with a happy end for the racing team. "About five kilometres before our food station I had a flat tyre and pedalled on without any air" Thomas Dietsch remembered. "It was so slippery that I'm really glad nothing serious happened."
On the last kilometres the French-Germany pairing hit the pedal to the metal. "We didn't have anything to lose anyway" Dietsch said. His team partner Tim Boehme added: "It's a nice compensation for the whole team after Karl (Platt) had to give up due to his injury. We dedicate this win to him." However, it was a "very nice feeling" for the 27-year-old "to win this stage. Especially as I wasn't sure if I could start this year at all because I was ill on Tuesday before the Transalp start was scheduled" explained the three-time Transalp participant after his first ever stage win.
<b>Duel for title remains a close one</b>
Their phenomenal hunt to catch up was also supported by the fact that the two top pairings in front, which are still battling it out for the title, were busy with themselves. "At the end we kind of enjoyed the trails" Thomas Stoll said. But the BiXS iXS Pro Team member also stated "that we were in control of the race until the second climb. We raced true to the motto that attack is the best form of defence. This worked out pretty well."
However, the both Swiss athletes in the Yellow Leader Jerseys also had to handle a moment of shock when Hannes Genze, part of the so far See All Event Posts
