New Route Includes Thrills and Views at BIKE Transalp 2016

600 two-man teams from around the world met the challenge at the 19th edition of BIKE Transalp. Austria's Hermann Pernsteiner and Daniel Geismayr snagged their first win at the famous 7-day stage race.

This year's edition of BIKE Transalp saw 1,200 participants in a team of two from 40 countries grinding it out on jaw-dropping mountain bike trails, gorgeous views, demanding Alpine passes, and picturesque stopovers high in the mountains. From July 17^th to 23^rd, 2016, the most famous two-man team mountain bike stage race in the world was held for the 19th time and led the riders across the main chain of the Alps from Austria to Italy. The new route spoiled the participants with less asphalt, more single track, steeper uphills, challenging downhills and therefore more fun in total. For the first time ever, the race started at Imst, Tyrol, Austria, and finished at Arco, Trentino, Italy, near Lake Garda. From Imst over Nauders, Scuol, Livigno, Bormio, Mezzana, and Trento to Arco, the riders tackled 519.03 kilometers in distance and 17,736 meters in altitude within seven days.

Hermann Pernsteiner (Austria) and Daniel Geismayr (Austria) of Team Centurion Vaude 2 needed 22:48:50:0 hours for the route and won Transalp for the first time ever. Second place went to Karl Platt (Germany) and Urs Huber (Switzerland) of Team Bulls 1 (+ 16:34:8). Johnny Cattaneo (Italy) and Tony Longo (Italy) of Wilier Force 1 (+ 21:45:3) took the third position.

Some of the scenic highlights of the race:

https://www.facebook.com/biketransalp/videos/645450295612134/
The BIKE Transalp is characterized through a professional event structure, the sophisticated organization, years of experience, rising quality and the annual optimization of the roadway support system.

The route for 2016 was:

The overall results in various categories and day-wise results for 2016 can be checked here.

Images © Markus Greber