GORE-TEX® Transalpine-Run
Saab Salomon Outdoor Dominate Day One
06.09.2009
Their closest pursuers, Thomas Geisenberger and Michael Veit of 'Team Dr. Steinbauer' had to hand them a lead of nearly one quarter of an hour (03:49:56.0). The third-ranking team 'BLT Laufsport Saukel Haglöfs Men' was close on their respective heels though arriving less than two minutes later in a time of 03:51:40.0 hours.
It is very likely that the two Brits who dominated today's stage will continue to pose a formidable challenge for the other teams. After all, the two placed second in the Men's category in last year's famed TransRockies Run. The significant lead Symonds and Owens banked today still came as a bit of a surprise to them, given that they took time to take in the scenery, opting to walk off and on.
Twenty-seven year-old Owens described out today's strategy as follows: "We took it easy on the uphill sections and relaxed on the descents". Their pace was still stiff enough to shake off the posse behind them by the time they reached the Fidere Pass (2.210 m), the highest elevation on today's stage. Owens added that 'one by one, the other teams dropped the pace and by the time we got to the top they were out of our sight. The technical sections that followed were to our advantage since we tend to excel on these'. The running duo certainly didn't show any signs of fatigue after today's muddy and slippery stage.
<b>Second to fifth-placed teams arrive within five minutes of one another</b>
There were other teams to which a podium ranking came as a bit of a surprise today. Michael Veit of 'Team Dr. Steinbauer' was clearly was with today's performance but would have never guessed they'd claim second place. "We assumed that with a bit of luck we'd arrive among the top-ten teams", he said. The team running to third place were equally satisfied with how the race developed, especially since last year's masters champion, Christian 'Stork, experienced some difficulties along the way. "It didn't look particularly good at one point. But Matthias (Dippacher) took good care of me and was able to pull me along".
<b>Defending Master's champions on right on track</b>
Stork's former teammate Dr. Thomas Miksch, who is starting among the Master's this year, ran a fabulous stage today. The defending champion of his category spent only 03:55:57.9 on the trail with his new running partner Anton Philip
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