BIKE Four Peaks
Christoph Sauser extends his lead | Petra Marchart-Robeischl again fastest woman
Press Release / 06.06.2014
Kirchberg in Tirol, June 5, 2014 – Thanks to a successful attack in the last climb to Ehrenbachhöhe Christoph Sauser (SUI) was able to celebrate a back-to-back win on day two of the Protective BIKE Four Peaks after his victory on the opening stage yesterday. The reigning World Champion from Specialized Racing mastered the 75.50 km and 2,511 metres of altitude from Lofer to Kirchberg in Tirol in 3:07:36.7 hours. That is some three and a half minutes faster compared to his last year's victory time on the same course.
The Swiss rider relegated Team Topeak Ergon racers Alban Lakata (AUT, 3:09:09.6) and Kristian Hynek (CZE, 3:09:45.6) to second and third. The man in the Yellow Jersey. The stage win extended his lead in the overall ranking to 2:10.1 minutes over Hynek.
Markus Kaufmann (GER) of Centurion Vaude came in fourth (3:11:01.3) which meant he lost his second rank in the men's category. However, the 2013 Transalp champion was able to keep hold on the lead in the best climber classification for the Red Polka Dot Jersey for the 'Peak Hero of the Bayerischen Staatsforsten powered by fi'zi:k' with a total of 45 points.
Sauser is in second with 41 points after he was the first to make it to the peak of the Ehrenbachhöhe, today's classified slope for the best climber category. But before the Swiss made the decisive attack in the ascent via the well-known finish jump of the famous Streif ski course and the Hahnenkamm, the Sigriswil native had worked together with a group of five.
Thanks to an amazing pace set right from the start of the stage up to Waidringer Höhenweg, Sauser, Kaufmann, Lakata, Hynek, their team mate Robert Mennen (GER) as well as Matthias Leisling (GER) from Kreidler Werksteam had been able to break away. Until the last climb of the day, when Sauser upped the tempo.
“I was riding pretty passive but then attacked in the last 200 metres of elevation gain. That worked out and I was able to break away,” explained Sauser, who then did well on the muddy downhill, setting the third quickest time down the pretty tough Fleckalm-Trail which counted for the Enduro Challenge.
“It was hard. It was hard to brake with those semi-slick tires so you have to let go while riding with care. But it was definitely the most exciting downhill I ever rode,” he said. The defending Four Peaks champion was only beaten in the Speed Hero category by Karl Platt (GER) of Team Bulls and Andreas Kleiber (GER) of Texpa Simplon.
While Platt was able to defend the Green Jersey, Sauser had already the next day in mind and thus the short stage (46.46 km and 2,465 m) from Kirchberg to Neukirchen am Großvenediger. “It will be quite a battle. There are almost no flat parts. You have to be focused on every single metre.”
That's a sentiment Alban Lakata would agree with. He was pretty pleased with his first Four Peaks podium this year: “Knowing how far I've come since my bad injury last winter I didn't expect to do so well. I knew that I could keep up with the field on the short climbs but also expected them to be stronger on the long ones. This is what happened. But my legs weren't tired so I hope that I can make up some time over the next two days. Susi (Christoph Sauser) is not unbeatable.”
Austrian lady once again in front
In the women's event, it looks like an easy task for Petra Marchart-Robeischl (AUT) of RC Union Eindruck Sarleinsbach. The mother of one came in first again (4:06:50.4) edging off Cornelia Hug (SUI) of CrazyVeloShop-Scott (4:08:27.4) and Angela Parra Sierra (COL) of Seven Capital-Gallo (4:14:49.2) to second and third like yesterday. Marchart-Robeischl now leads the women category with some six minutes over Hug.
Hansjürg Gerber (SUI) of bikeholiday.ch-acefactory won the master category (40+ racers) and thus celebrated his second win in a row (3:34:26.4). However, the Swiss racer had to concede that Heinz Zörweg (AUT) of Rad.Sport.Szene-Ausseerland, leader of the grand master category (50+), was about one minute faster than him (3:33:31.9).
For further information and a daily (German) live ticker visit bike-fourpeaks.de
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