Craft Bike TransAlp

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Defending Champions Crash Out

News Release / 23.07.2010

Three teams crossed the finish line as joint winners today, with neutralised times resulting from a crash near the finish which has ended the title defence of the BiXS iXS Pro Team.

After 47.73 kilometres and 2,321 metres of ascent from Malé (ITA) to Madonna di Campiglio (ITA) Team Bulls, Multivan Merida Biking and Full-Dynamix rolled in with the same time of 2:29:34.8 hours. The BiXS iXS Pro Team, who were leading until a few hundred metres before the finish line, crashed and couldn’t complete today’s stage.

Earlier in the day the Swiss title defenders Lukas Buchli and Thomas Stoll had conquered the peak of the Rifugio Orso Bruno, a tough climb of 20 kilometres and 1,300 metres of ascent. As a result they were first entering the final downhill to Madonna di Campiglio with a lead of approximately 20 seconds on the pursuing group of teams.

About 700 metres before the finish, the two riders cut – according to the race organisation – a curve trying to reduce the gap of 1:39 minutes in the overall leaders, Team Bulls. During this manoeuvre, 27-years-old Stoll collided with a car suffering a deep slash wound which had to be stitched up in the hospital.

As the two Swiss riders didn’t cross the finish line after their self-imposed crash, the title defenders were taken out of the ranking. So, the 2010 Transalp is over for Lukas Buchli and Thomas Stoll and the Multivan Merida Cycling Team moved into second place overall with a gap of 5:35 minutes on Team Bulls.

<b>Winning Pairs Shocked</b>

On the finish line all pros of the three cycling squads were shocked by the race-decisive collision. On behalf of all six men, six-time Transalp champion Karl Platt stated: “I don’t understand this. I don’t know for how many years I’m saying this now, but it’s dangerous. The top riders in front are competing in a real race. This means, the last kilometres should be closed for traffic. Then, nothing like this could happen.�

<b>Team Cube Claims Masters Win</b>

While the winning teams were still discussing the race, Udo Bölts and Silvio Wieltschnig completed the race in 2:42:07.3 hours, finishing just as the pouring rain began. The German-Austrian Team Cube, which is wearing the Blue Leaders race Jerseys since the second stage relegated Mannie Heymans and Reini Woisetschläger of Garmin adidas/Bike and Soul (2:50:00.4) to second while team KTM consisting of Austria’s title defenders Heinz Zörweg and Ekkehard Dörschlag rounded out the podium as third (2:51:59.5).

<b>Rothaus-Cube Still Unbeaten</b>

On the ladies’ side, stage seven was once again a sister act: Kristine and Anna-Sofie Norgaard from Denmark won the shortest 2010 Transalp stage from Malé to Madonna di Campiglio in 3:11:30.2 hours and remain unbeaten.

Mountain Heroes Katrin Neumann (GER) and Danièle Troesch (FRA) were able to secure the runners-up spot for the second time (3:30:07.9). Natascha Binder and Bettina Dietzen from Germany were the third ladies’ team to cross the finish line. Team Felt Ötztal X-Bionic/Cannondale Store took 3:31:01.0 hours for today’s ride.

<b>First win for credo-bikes.com mix</b>

A close finish of the three top mixed teams was won by Jane Nüssli and Markus Hochstrasser (3:09:04.79). The Swiss credo-bikes.com riders edged out Milena Landtwing (SUI) and Heiko Gutmann of Rothaus-Cube to second (3:09:05.9) and Pia Sundstedt (FIN) and Daniel Gathof (GER) of leading team Craft-Rocky-Mountain to third spot (3:09:06.3).

<b>Green Valley Team 100 Claims Another Victory</b>

After a phenomenal pursuit race, Hartmann Stifter and Josef Pallhuber of Green Valley Team 100 were able to catch up with the temporary leading Senior Master leaders finally passing them in the last third of the race. The South Tyrolean athletes clinched their fourth stage win in 3:07:35.8 hours, but are still sitting in the runners-up position behind the bearers of the Green Leader Jerseys, Ferdinand Ganser and Georg Niggl (both GER) of Team Craft (3:08:02.4).

Two more Italians brought home another good result for their home region. Josef Stefan Hofer and Thomas Steger of Green Valley 101 captured the third rank, celebrating their first Transalp podium in 3:13:09.5 hours.See All Event Posts