BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma
Geismayr and Pernsteiner Clinch 3rd BIKE Transalp Stage Win
Press Release / 20.07.2017
Daniel Geismayr and Hermann Pernsteiner have come out victorious of the fifth stage of the 20th BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma. The defending champions from Austria racing for Centurion Vaude 1 mastered the 84.73 km long leg from Kaltern to Trento (2,619 m) in the time of 3:31.31,3 edging off Jeremiah Bishop (USA) and Kristian Hynek (CZE) to the second rank as Topeak Ergon Racing 1 crossed the timing line which was already placed at Parco le Coste in a photo finish only 0.1 seconds behind of the winners.
Rank three went to Italians Diego Cargnelutti and Johnny Cattaneo of Wilier Force Squadra Corse who jumped on the podium for the first time (3:33.37,7).
Just like the days before, the yellow jerseys were seeking the decision in the first climb to Gfrillner Saddle setting a high pace right away with the support of the second Centurion Vaude duo consisting of Transalp triple winners Jochen Kaess (GER) and Markus Kaufmann (GER). It was a strategy which paid off as none of the other teams was able to keep up – except of Topeak Egron Racing 1.
When the second ranked supporter team of Geismayr and Pernsteiner then lost time due to a puncture, the overall leaders took it easy following their rivals to the second feed zone in Lavis.
“We then gave it another shot in the climb to Mount Calisio but were caught again in the descent,” explained Pernsteiner who finally secured the photo finish win with a smart manoeuvre racing head to head with Hynek.
“We were right next to each other, and I just pushed my front wheel a bit forward. It turned out that it was enough.”
His rival from the Czech Republic said: “We had the feeling that we were in front. Except of that, we had a good day as we were able to close the gap to the second rank in the overall classifier. We can be happy with the result although it would have been nice to win the stage.”
In the masters category, former world champion Massimo Debertolis (ITA) and his Wilier Force 7C teammate Dax Jaikel (CRC) extended their winning streak to five in a time of 3:49.56,2 while Esther Suess (SUI) and Jennie Stenerhag (SWE) of Meerendal CBC did so on the women's side of things in 4:25.20,7.
In the grand masters category, Swiss racers Hansjuerg Gerber and Daniel Christen earned their week's third stage win (4:02.37,4) therefore minimally reducing the arrears to the green jerseys of Thorsten Damm (GER) and Peter Vesel (SLO) who came in as second today (4:05.26,4).
But team Scott Fahrradladen Gudensberg has still a comfortable lead of some 20 minutes over the duo of bikeholiday.ch/bike arena emmetten with only two more stages to come.
The mixed event saw the leading duo for the first time being beaten after Silke Ulrich (GER) and Sascha Schwindling (GER) of Team Herzlichst Zypern 1 rolled in in fourth position (4:23.14,8). Finland's Sini Alusniemi and Juha Kauppinen of CroxSports Team claimed the win in 4:10.59,7 but remained in fourth position of the overall ranking.
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