BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma
21st BIKE Transalp Powered by Sigma Kicks Off in Imst on Sunday
Press Release / 16.07.2018
The starting gun for the 21st BIKE Transalp powered by Sigma will be fired off this Sunday at 9:00 with the start taking place on the sport area Glenthof in Imst, Austria. 750 mountain bikers will take on the challenge of crossing the Alps in seven stages mastering a total distance of more than 500 kilometres and over 18,000 metres of climbing to Arco, Italy from 15 to 21 July, 2018.
The first leg of the Alps classic for teams of two leads the riders over 90 kilometres and some 3,000 metres of climbing via Pillerhoehe and Pfundser Tschey as well as a short sortie to Switzerland to Nauders.
It's a hard opening to the race week which participants from 35 nations are facing.
The most of them do come from Germany (170) with Belgium (50), Holland (45) and Switzerland (31) also being well-represented. Sportspeople from Ecuador, Columbia, South Africa, USA, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Thailand or Yemen, however, had to undertake the longest arrival to make it to the start line.
No wonder, as the route runs deep into the impressive alpine world between the groups of Ortler and Adamello.
It's a massive ride into the Central Alps which racers will tackle on old smuggler and less frequented alpine paths as well as panorama-soaked mountain passes.
The event's legend status is also underlined by smooth freeride passages in some of the Alps most famous mountain bike destinations like the Livigno Bikepark, memorable times in the Valmora valley or by pedalling the historic Alta Via Camuna which leads high above the timber line into the di Sole valley and to Tonale Pass.
The field is led by several of the world's best marathon squads which all do hope to secure the precious title. But as Centurion Vaude has been dominating the BIKE Transalp over the past five years, the combinations of Team Bulls, Wilier Force 7C or Buff Scott MTB Team have to give it all they have to break the winning streak of the Ravensburg based team Centurion Vaude.
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