The BIKE Transalp is considered the toughest mountain bike race in the Alps. This has to do with the route. But not only that. 566 kilometres and 18378 metres in altitude, divided into seven stages, is actually the perfect weekly dose for endurance enthusiasts.
What makes the whole thing a trip between heaven and hell is the start number. Because it has a much more aggravating effect on an MTB Alpine crossing than on a classic bike marathon. On the legs, of course. But also on the psyche. On the material. And of course not least on the chemistry between the team partners, which can become an explosive mixture under extreme stress.
Immerse yourself in the myth of the BIKE Transalp for a week
If everything goes well, the week will be the most intense and greatest thing you can experience as a mountain biker. If it goes badly, everything becomes an opponent. The climbs. The ground. And sometimes even your team partner. But one way or another, by the time you reach the finish line in Riva on Lake Garda, the tension of the week is released in a crazy rush of triumph and euphoria.
This is the reason why hundreds of people with a race number have been toiling across the Alps on their mountain bikes every July for more than two decades. Professionals and amateurs alike. The big question for this year's event was: how well has the BIKE Transalp myth survived the pandemic? After the cancellation in 2020 and the 2021 BIKE Transalp organised under strict corona protection conditions the iconic race could be held under largely normal conditions again in 2022.
This time, the route led from Lienz in East Tyrol to Riva on Lake Garda. The mighty peaks of the Lienz Dolomites were already visible from the starting line. The light grey, rugged rock faces towering into the sky left no doubt that the confrontation between man and the forces of nature would not be long in coming at this 24th BIKE Transalp.
After the field of riders was not very international last year due to the strict corona restrictions, there were once again numerous starters from countries such as South Africa, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Israel and the USA at the start. The most prominent German was Karl Plattlast year's UCI Marathon World Champion in the Masters class, who had left his mark on the stage race for almost two decades, winning it a total of six times between 2002 and 2008.
Highlight of the MTB crossing of the Alps: zigzagging through the Dolomites
"Mountains! Mountains! Mountains!" answered BIKE Transalp record winner Karl Platt grinning when asked by the reporter what three words he would use to describe the BIKE Transalp. Course director Marc Schneider would probably have said something similar. The route he had created was as challenging as it was charming.
Like a big, jagged AC/DC blitz, it led from Lienz via Sillian, Bruneck, St. Vigil, Kaltern and San Martino di Castrozza to Lavrone and from there to Riva on Lake Garda. The route of the MTB Alpine crossing guaranteed a concentrate of sensational panoramas and the finest trail descents, but also included some bridging passages that had to be ridden in lockout mode.
Working out the Alpine Cross route has always been a major challenge for the route manager. Approval procedures, insufficient bed capacity in towns, nature conservation requirements or unsuitable pass crossings force compromises to be made on almost every route. Nevertheless, Marc Schneider was satisfied with his 2022 creation: "The scenery is amazing and there are some really great trails".
Achieve your Transalp goal with determination and an iron will
The first taste of this was right in Lienz. Booming upbeat music had barely whipped the almost 600 participants out of the starting pits and onto the course when the ultra-steep first climb up to the Lienzer Sternalm drove the riders' pulses into the red zone without a hint of pre-start skirmish. The team riders tried to synchronise themselves. The individual starters struggled to find their rhythm.
As powerful as the lactate shock, the reward came 900 metres later. Over the smooth, perfectly modelled Peter Sagan Trail, the route was smooth and pedal-free to the much grittier fun slope called Alban Lakata Trailon which the jeering crowd circled back to Lienz. An intermezzo of hard and marvellous, as if a sadomasochist and a happiness officer had conceived it together.
At the same time, the initial ups and downs were just the prologue to a very long, very tough stage, which added up to a massive 3100 metres of elevation gain over just 65 kilometres to the day's finish in Sillian. Once again, the central aspect was clear. Times may change. Even the Route of the BIKE Transalp. But the character of the race remains the same. If you want to reach the finish line, you need grit and an iron will. The finisher jersey doesn't come in the post, and you can't buy it for euros either. The price is blood, sweat and tears. Why do people do this to themselves?
The first part of the day almost always reveals a certain gap between our own aspirations and reality. Which is a good thing. Because the force of the task to be mastered immediately focusses on the here and now. Everyday problems and world events seem galaxies away.
It's stressful, rushing over Alpine peaks on the edge of comfort. At the same time, however, it is pleasant, because your gaze is focussed more intensely than ever on the essentials: your own body. On the ascent. On the trail, the aid station, the bike. An uninterrupted sequence of micro-events, while the sweat glands pump all the encrusted everyday grime out of the body.
Everything merges together. That's what makes it special. And everyone experiences it in their own way. Yes, the BIKE Transalp is a race. But it is also an adventure. And, as crazy as it sounds, it's also a bit of a holiday. You determine the mix yourself, it depends on your own ambitions. The Colombian-Costa Rican team Luis Sanches Mejia and Carlos Arroyo Herrera, who have clarified the hierarchical relationships with the first stage and are riding in yellow, celebrate professional sport at the highest level - including mechanics, masseurs and support staff.
The Troupe from "Coffee and Chainrings" on the other hand, who has also travelled with an accompanying crew, sees the race as a stage for her entertaining social media appearances in addition to the sporting challenge. Individual starter Petra Zeller, who has achieved internet popularity thanks to her dirndl outfit, is delighted. has made it. Tight on her feet but in a good mood, she kneads over the mountains in traditional costume while stress-absorbing pop music blares from the streaming box on the fully. The mother-daughter duo Christina and Chiara Baganz (Team Burn Baby) attempt the balancing act of fun and ambition, while Horst Drebenstedt is all about finishing.
At 76, Horst is the oldest in the field of participants, riding in sandals and on a rustic 26-inch hardtail. "That's fine too," he smiles, demonstrating that anyone with a passion for mountain biking can theoretically complete an Alpine MTB crossing at race pace. No matter whether you are a well-trained professional, a well-prepared amateur or a motivated amateur athlete. Whether with a high-end fully or an ageing hardtail. Whether youngster or senior.
And so, day after day, the convoy works its way through the Alps towards Lake Garda. Racers. Set-up crew. Catering teams. Rescue team. Race organisers. Press people. Track team. Like a gigantic travelling circus under a bell that looks like a parallel world. To the left and right of the track, people go about their daily lives, while the track itself is a daily stage for heroic stories and dramas.
Over the Kronplatz and the Dolomites to Lake Garda
The barren, 2275 metre high Kronplatz, from where an epic trail leads down to the finish in Bruneckonly reaches part of the field of riders. A heavy thunderstorm forces the race to be abandoned. Those who make it through are soaked but happy at the finish.
In the chill-out area, hot tea is served at the Bitburger 0.0% tea stand. At Jentschura, where those arriving usually refresh themselves with a footbath, warm blankets are handed out. After an hour, the sun is shining again. The route continues to St. Vigil amidst panoramas like photo wallpaper.
The roughly jagged stage into the vineyard paradise of Kaltern gives the riders a chance to catch their breath on the neutralised passage through Bolzano, but still draws the last breaths of energy out of their legs in the sweltering South Tyrolean heat. The Passo Rolle the next day is like a navigable sculpture of the Dolomites, which penultimate stage to Lavarone a potpourri of the consuming and the marvellous.
And then it's here, the stage to Riva. Give it your all one last time, push yourself to the limit once more. The timing carpet is at the top, at Maso Naranch. Directly behind it: A clear view of Lake Garda from 900 metres above sea level. The last kilometres to the finish arch: neutralised for safety reasons. Down by the lake there is holiday traffic. But that doesn't affect the feeling of finishing.
Like members of an expedition reaching safe civilisation again after several lonely months in inhospitable regions, the arriving mountain bikers throw their arms in the air in jubilation. Champagne fountains spray. Bruised people hug each other. Some get down on their knees and kiss the home straight. Passers-by stare at the spectacle, as fascinated as they are baffled. Normal crossers of the Alps would simply eat an ice cream and hop into Lake Garda for a souvenir photo. You can see the effect a race number has.
Isotonic refreshments were provided by the drinks sponsor Bitburger with a delicious 0.0%.
BIKE Transalp - the background
The BIKE Transalp was launched in 1998 by Uli Stanciu, the founder of BIKE magazine. Stanciu was one of the first people to cross the Alps on a mountain bike and wanted to create a new, unique challenge for the then burgeoning marathon scene. Because he didn't think he could get authorisation for an official race, the BIKE Transalp was advertised as a non-stop adventure.
The start should be conspiratorial in Mittenwald, the finish in Riva. The first to reach Lake Garda would be the winner. In response to the advert in BIKE, 500 people signed up to take part. Uli Stanciu was completely surprised by this and got cold feet. What if someone crashed at night? What if there was a storm? With the help of a committed Austrian politician, Stanciu managed to turn the whole thing into an official race after all. Eight stages. And second team mode to guarantee help in the event of a crash. Almost 600 riders took to the course in July 1998, including MTB pioneers such as Gary Fisher and Wolfgang Renner. The BIKE Transalp Challenge, as it was then called, was a huge success.
The race became the big bang of a worldwide MTB stage race boom and was the model for Cape Epic, Brasil Ride and Co. The next edition of the BIKE Transalp is also the 25th anniversary. The date: 9 to 15 July 2023. info and registration: www.bike-transalp.de
