The Endura Alpen-Traum
Across the Alps by road bike in a single day – not just for pros
News Release (Plan B Events) / 11.09.2013
The upcoming weekend marks the premiere of the first single-day road cycling race across the Alps. Roughly 800 road racers from 19 nations have registered for the inaugural ENDURA Alpen-Traum. They face the choice of competing either over a distance of 252 km (6,078 m of vertical ascent) or on a shorter course of 146 km (4,315 m). Either way, the contestants will have the privilege of competing with several pro cyclists on the scenic course between Germany and Italy.
Apart from many ambitious amateurs from all corners of the world, a number of notable athletes, such as Stefan Thum (Rose Racing), Tim Böhme (MTB Bulls) and Ironman triathlete Lothar Leder will participate in the first ENDURA Alpen-Traum race. Yet, two pro road cyclists will probably attract most of the limelight: Ralf Matzka and Jonathan McEvoy of pro racing team NetApp-ENDURA received UCI permission to take part in the race and will give a sampling of their cycling talents and tactics. Both pros will compete on the long course between Sonthofen (GER) and Solda (ITA), which is characterized by a sequence of six gruesome climbs followed by lightning-fast descents with nary a flat section in between.
Many consider Ralf Matzka to be the favorite on this course as he successfully proved his mettle in several long, single-day cycling events already this season. Matzka ranked among the “Top-Ten” at 'Frankfurt-Eschborn', the 'Arctic Race of Norway' and the stage race 'Tour of Qinghai Lake', China. The latter event, where cyclists reached elevations of 4,000 meters, may serve as a most suitable prelude to the ENDURA Alpen-Traum, which peaks out at 2,757 m asl at legendary Passo Stelvio, Italy.
Irrespective of his accomplishments this past summer, Ralf Matzke (NetAPP ENDURA) insisted in a recent interview that the Alpen-Traum course deserves as much respect as any serious road cycling race would.
Hello Ralf, are you in shape these days?
Hi, I'm doing pretty good, thanks. I've had to rest for nine days because of some dental surgery but on the upside I've probably lost 3 to 4 kg of weight as a result of only sipping soup. But that really shouldn't have affected the overall shape I'm in. As a pro racer I'm maintaining an exercise routine year-round and missing nine days doesn't really matter in the grand scheme.
How profound a challenge is the ENDURA Alpen-Traum; after all the race is 252 km in distance with a vertical gain of more than 6,000 m?
The overall distance doesn't really mean that much in this case. The 'Cyclassics' in Hamburg three weeks ago, for instance, is a race event of similar course length [and rather flat]. But 6,000 m of vertical, that's something to write home about! It'll be a challenge for us pros and I'm curious how we'll fare.
How do you go about such a race given that it is going to be different from an exclusive pro-event?
Yeah, it'll be quite different than a pro-race where you have to stay 100% focused right from the start. However, I'm really excited to have an opportunity to take part in the Alpen-Traum. I will try to enjoy it even though it's likely going to be pretty hard.
What's your strategy going to be?
I'll start out pretty relaxed and will see how things are evolving. Towards the end, we'll all need a lot of strength for Passo Umbrail and Passo Stelvio. Most importantly, I'll simply ride my own pace on the climbs and hope not to miss any food stations. That would probably translate into a disaster given the distance.
What do you figure your chances are with respect to some of the very ambitious and experienced amateurs who know the course inside out?
In any case, I'm going to meet the competition and the course with respect. It's certainly not going to be easy to make the “Top-Ten”. Let's see how it pans out in the end.
Apart from many ambitious amateurs from all corners of the world, a number of notable athletes, such as Stefan Thum (Rose Racing), Tim Böhme (MTB Bulls) and Ironman triathlete Lothar Leder will participate in the first ENDURA Alpen-Traum race. Yet, two pro road cyclists will probably attract most of the limelight: Ralf Matzka and Jonathan McEvoy of pro racing team NetApp-ENDURA received UCI permission to take part in the race and will give a sampling of their cycling talents and tactics. Both pros will compete on the long course between Sonthofen (GER) and Solda (ITA), which is characterized by a sequence of six gruesome climbs followed by lightning-fast descents with nary a flat section in between.
Many consider Ralf Matzka to be the favorite on this course as he successfully proved his mettle in several long, single-day cycling events already this season. Matzka ranked among the “Top-Ten” at 'Frankfurt-Eschborn', the 'Arctic Race of Norway' and the stage race 'Tour of Qinghai Lake', China. The latter event, where cyclists reached elevations of 4,000 meters, may serve as a most suitable prelude to the ENDURA Alpen-Traum, which peaks out at 2,757 m asl at legendary Passo Stelvio, Italy.
Irrespective of his accomplishments this past summer, Ralf Matzke (NetAPP ENDURA) insisted in a recent interview that the Alpen-Traum course deserves as much respect as any serious road cycling race would.
Hello Ralf, are you in shape these days?
Hi, I'm doing pretty good, thanks. I've had to rest for nine days because of some dental surgery but on the upside I've probably lost 3 to 4 kg of weight as a result of only sipping soup. But that really shouldn't have affected the overall shape I'm in. As a pro racer I'm maintaining an exercise routine year-round and missing nine days doesn't really matter in the grand scheme.
How profound a challenge is the ENDURA Alpen-Traum; after all the race is 252 km in distance with a vertical gain of more than 6,000 m?
The overall distance doesn't really mean that much in this case. The 'Cyclassics' in Hamburg three weeks ago, for instance, is a race event of similar course length [and rather flat]. But 6,000 m of vertical, that's something to write home about! It'll be a challenge for us pros and I'm curious how we'll fare.
How do you go about such a race given that it is going to be different from an exclusive pro-event?
Yeah, it'll be quite different than a pro-race where you have to stay 100% focused right from the start. However, I'm really excited to have an opportunity to take part in the Alpen-Traum. I will try to enjoy it even though it's likely going to be pretty hard.
What's your strategy going to be?
I'll start out pretty relaxed and will see how things are evolving. Towards the end, we'll all need a lot of strength for Passo Umbrail and Passo Stelvio. Most importantly, I'll simply ride my own pace on the climbs and hope not to miss any food stations. That would probably translate into a disaster given the distance.
What do you figure your chances are with respect to some of the very ambitious and experienced amateurs who know the course inside out?
In any case, I'm going to meet the competition and the course with respect. It's certainly not going to be easy to make the “Top-Ten”. Let's see how it pans out in the end.
What do you hope for most in this race, other than arriving in Solda without a mishap?
Oh, my biggest hope is for decent weather. I wouldn't want any participant or myself having to endure rain and cold conditions over a distance of 252 K and six mountain passes.
Ralf, thank you for your time and all the best!
ENDURA Alpen-Traum: some facts!
The ENDURA Alpen-Traum is a unique race event in that there is no other road cycling race that traverses the Alps in a single day, let alone on a course with that many scenic highlights. The inaugural ENDURA Alpen-Traum should be a 'must' for any cycling fanatic – for pro racers, for celeb athletes of a related discipline or for joy riders alike.
Especially road cyclists who get a kick out of riding mountain passes can't go wrong with this event. The 252 km-long course beckons not only with a cumulative vertical gain of 6,078 meters but also six spectacular mountain passes between Sonthofen, Germany, and Solda, Italy. Among them some very scenic lesser-known ones, such as Piller Höhe and Hahntennjoch, but also the fabled Passo Stelvio (3rd highest in Europe) and historically-significant Passo Umbrail.
The starter's gun will be fired at the crack of dawn in the Bavarian town of Sonthofen this coming Saturday, 14th September 2013. The course will lead the competitors through the high-elevation Tannheimer Tal and across theLechtaler Range before dropping into the Inn Valley. From there, racers start the long climb towards the High Divide at Reschenpass which also marks the border between Austria and Italy. The course continues with an endless, white-knuckle downhill into Switzerland before riders return to Italy's Val Venosta, but not without pounding across the two highest passes of the ride. The quaint hamlet of Solda, crowned by the glacier-clad Ortles Massif (3,905 m), lies at the end of the final ascent and marks a befitting high-altitude finish to the ENDURA Alpen-Traum.
Whether your objective is to compete against the pros, to challenge yourself, to ride a two-person relay, or simply to spin along on the shorter of the two courses, the choice is entirely yours as the event can meet any of these expectations. Regardless what your decision, you'll get to enjoy some of the most scenic areas of the Alps on top of all.
Further information is available at www.alpen-traum.com
Further information is available at www.alpen-traum.com
SleepMonsters
