BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma

Strong Field to Hunt Defending BIKE Transalp champions

Press Release / 07.04.2016

With only 100 days to the start of the 2016 BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma (July 17th - 23rd) a tight battle for the Transalp crown is looming once again. Besides defending German champions Jochen Kaess and Markus Kaufmann (Centurion Vaude) several other strong international high profile teams of two have already registered for one of the world's most important mountain bike stage races. As a result, one of the history's tightest and most interesting battles for victory may be expected.

As the years before the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Transalp winners will face Team Bulls and Topeak Ergon Racing again which seem to be the strongest rivals in the race for the glory.

While 2016 Cape Epic winners from Team Bulls, Urs Huber (SUI) and reigning German Marathon Champion Karl Platt (GER) as well as Tim Boehme (GER) and Simon Stiebjahn (GER) will ride to win again, two Topeak Ergon duos are also aiming big.

Austria's Alban Lakata, the 2012 Transalp champion, will tackle the seven-stage event with his Czech teammate Kristian Hynek again while new pair Jeremiah Bishop (USA) and Erik Kleinhans (RSA) are definitely more than just a support back-up.

Besides this well-know circle of podium aspirants there are even more ambitious teams who have definitely the skills to mix it at the top.

Trek-Selle San Marco is thinking of sending Italy's Samuele Porro and Damiano Ferraro as well as Spanish-Italian pair Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez and Fabian Rabensteiner.

Race debutants from South African Darren Lill and Waylon Woolcock who start for USN Purefit are expected to be strongest team from the Dark Continent and could spring a surprise. The same applies for Team Scott who will most certainly field South Tyrolean Franz Hofer together with former road cycle ace Cristiano Salerno (ITA).

However, although competition for the title might be stronger than ever before, Kaess and Kaufmann, who have the self-confidence of a Transalp winning streak of three in a row and just came back from an injury break, don't have to be scared at all as they can rely on another strong Centurion Vaude pair.

Daniel Geismayr (AUT) who finished second and fourth in 2014 and 2015 is ready for another race across the Alps while his team has yet to decide with whom he will compete: fellow countryman Hannes Pernsteiner or Germany's Matthias Pfrommer.

For further news and information on the race please visit bike-transalp.de.

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