2012 Craft Bike TransAlp

Karl Platt and Tim Böhme win opening stage of the 2012 CRAFT BIKE TRANSALP

News Release / 16.07.2012

Karl Platt and Tim Böhme have clinched the opening stage of the 2012 CRAFT BIKE TRANSALP from Oberammergau, Germany, to Imst, Austria, thus approving that the team management made the right decision by forming its two pairings in new buildups. Team Bulls 1 mastered the 97.80 km and 2,215 meters in elevation as fastest duo claiming the Yellow Leaderjerseys in the time of 3:30.07,1 hours.

According to this, the two Germans relegated the also newly formed inter-team mix of Centurion-Vaude and BiXS iXS consisting of Markus Kaufmann (GER) and Thomas Stoll (SUI) with a lead of more than two minutes to the runner-up position (3:32.16,1).

Hannes Genze and Andreas Kugler, another German-Swiss combo riding for Multivan Merida Biking, rounded out the podium as third (3:34.12,8).

However, Genze and Kugler already lost more than four minutes on this year's first Transalp leaders, who had attacked right at the first little climb of the eight-day event up to Mäuerle. Only Kaufmann and Stoll were able to keep up the pace and worked well together with their rivals thus keeping their lead on the pursuers constantly over some 30 seconds until the first real peak of the 2012 Transalp.

After the breakaways had entered the ascent to Marienbergjoch (1,810 m) the defending champions Urs Huber and Konny Looser caught up. But after Kaufmann and Stoll upped the tempo again, two-time U23 European Marathon Champion Looser struggled being forced to lose contact again. In the end, the Swiss high profile racers of Team Stöckli had to settle for the seventh rank with a gap of 9:24 minutes being one of many beaten pro teams today.

“Vaude and BiXS iXS did speed up things in the climb and we held the pace,” said Tim Böhme. “In the downhill, we finally were able to break away,” concluded the 30-years-old after his career's second Transalp stage win.

His four years older comrade-in-arms Platt added: “We pushed it really hard in the downhill. Today was just amazing. We were both in super good shape. Coming back like this after a so far screwed up season is phenomenal and one of the best feelings I have ever had.”

Nevertheless, the seven-time Transalp winner and his team mate Böhme also took advantage of a flat Stoll had to handle right after the peak of Marienbergjoch. “We definitely lost some time but it could have been worse. Even so, I'm pretty pleased with the result. We work well together and are pretty strong in the climbs. I hope that we can benefit from that over the course of the next days,” said Stoll.

De Bertolis and Deho Best Master Team

On the side of the teams with a total age of 80+, Italy's very own Massimo de Bertolis and Marzio Deho demonstrated in a more than impressive style that both are – although being already 40+ – not part of the old guards yet. The former Marathon World Champion and his fellow countryman crossed the finish line in Imst as overall sixth ranked and thus fastest master team (3:36.12,7).

Team Adamello Ski thus has already an advantage of almost seven minutes on second-ranked Andreas Laner (ITA) and Johann Grasegger (GER) of Team Scott (3:43.10,0). 2011 master class Transalp champions from Austria, Silvio Wieltschnig and Heinz Zörweg of Cube Factory, came in third (3:48.05,8).