Gore-Tex Transalpine-Run
Salomon Trail Teams Triumphant Victors in 2 Categories
News Release / 14.09.2010
British racers Andrew Symonds and Tom Owens of Salomon Trail Team have won the 2010 GORE-TEX Transalpine-Run, the infamous trail-running stage race across the High Divide of the Alps.
The repeat victors from 2009 covered the distance of 305 kilometers and a vertical height gain of 13,499 meters on the Eastern course of the annual race event between Ruhpolding, Germany, and Sexten, Italy, in a total of 28:29.27 hours. Over the course of the past week, they also managed to win every single stage by a wide margin. Andrew Symonds and Tom Owens put today’s final stage (of eight consecutive race days) behind them in the astounding time of 02:47.56 hours - despite a distance of 33.40 km and 1,269 m of climbing.
Matthias Dippacher and Christian Stork of the Orthomol Sport Team claimed second position in the overall ranking with a cumulative time of 30:03.25 hours. Despite dropping to third place in today’s stage (03:02.00 hours), they had consistently delivered solid runs over the past week, providing them with a sufficient lead over their most immediate contenders, US team Skinny Raven (30:56.21). The two Alaskans, Brent Knight and Brandon Newbould, in turn, claimed a well deserved third place overall, although falling behind to fifth position towards the end of today’s stage (03:05.07).
Second place in today’s stage went to Swiss Martin Schmid and Samuel Nef of Team Gondo Event, who – in a last ditch effort – managed to pass Orthomol Sport Team. Their time of 03.01.38 hours also secured a well deserved fourth position overall in the Men’s category.
<b>Blt Laufsport Saukel-Haglöfs Masters Victors – As Usual</b>
They dominated the race almost from Stage One, without missing a day on the podium, and finished – as expected – in first place. After 31:17.37 hours on the trail, veteran Transalpine-Run racer Dr. Thomas Miksch and team partner Philipp Anton had accumulated a lead of almost exactly five hours on second-placing Spanish Team Buff. Being ahead of the pack by such a wide margin would have tempted many racers to hang back a bit but not these runners from Southern Germany. They gave it all one last time and put the trails between Niederdorf and Sexten, Italy, behind them in 03:13.35 hours, the sixth fastest time today.
Spaniards Chemari Bustillo and Juanjo Alonso of Team Buff (36:16.26 hours) ended up second overall in their category although falling behind the top teams today and arriving in Sexten only in 11th place after 03:53.31 hours. However, after running seven very solid race stages in a row, their lead over the closest competition was sufficient to put them on the podium right next to the all-dominating Master leaders.
Germans Roland Schindele and Holger Schulze of SENSOR-TECHNIK WIEDEMANN PLATTE enjoyed a much better day and put the finish line behind them in a time of 03:39.31 hours. That was fast enough for third place in today’s stage. Their cumulative time of 36:34.49 hours earned
them third position overall in the Master category.
Still, a hitherto unknown Team Ach provided a remarkable upset by running to second place today in just 03:36.17 hours. Belgians Jozef Struyfs and Rudi van Aelst were ecstatic to have made the podium on the ultimate stage and advancing their overall ranking among the Masters to 27th position.
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