The 24. Maxxis BIKE Transalp not necessarily at race pace. Connoisseurs can download the brand new route from Lienz to Lake Garda onto their GPS device and take their time. We present all 7 stages for you to follow. This time: Stage 6 - the queen stage through Trentino, from San Martino di Castrozza to Lavarone.
Stage 6: from San Martino di Castrozza to Lavarone
- 109 kilometres
- 3121 metres altitude
- Journey time 7-9 hours
- Condition 5/5
- Driving technique 3/5
- Panorama 5/5
On the sixth day of the newly mapped out BIKE Transalp, it's time to get up early! Even if you don't have to be in the starting block on time like the racers - the Queen's stage is coming up today. Were it the day before Already almost 100 kilometres to cover, today's stage from the Dolomites to the high plateau of Folgaria, Lavarone and Luserna adds another 16 kilometres and 600 metres in altitude.
That sounds dramatic and brutal, but without a stopwatch on your back, this long day in the saddle can be mentally organised in such a way that you almost don't feel its harshness. We start with an easy Warm-up programme from San Martino to the Forcella di Calaita and on to the idyllic lake of the same name. The Rifugio Miralago awaits on its southern shore with a dream view of the Pale di San Martino: second breakfast with a wake-up swim in the crystal-clear water. Mountain lake fancy one?
The nearby Super trail descent down into the Valle del Vanoi then warms up the limbs again - bang: the first 25 kilometres of the day are already on the clock. The next hurdle is Passo Brocòn (1616 m): 900 metres in altitude over low-percentage asphalt hairpin bends - a climb that is easy to chat about on the side.
As a reward, one of the most beautiful trail descents of the entire Transalp awaits you on the other side, in a region so remote that you would probably never have got to know it by car. You pass pretty mountain villages along the way. The historic town centre of Pieve Tesino, for example, is reached at kilometre 60 - the halfway point. Lunch?
For digestion, there is then an easy 35 kilometres with a descent and a flat cycle path passage through the Val Sugana. This puts you back in good shape for the last climb of the day, the Kaiserjägerweg. This is another 1000 metres in altitude, which culminates at Monte Tablat, but then ends with a freeride descent in the Bike park down to the stage finish. Want to bet that there's enough daylight and energy left for an Aperol Spritz before dinner?
"This sixth stage will be tough again for the racers. It has the most vertical metres of the new BIKE Transalp route. But it leads through the quiet mountains of Trentino and contains two of my absolute trail favourites!" Marc Schneider, course director of the BIKE Transalp
Registration
The 24th BIKE Transalp will take place from 3-9 July 2022 and costs the basic package including race management, luggage and bike service, stage catering, medical care and much more. 999 euros per person (U23 riders 749 euros). Beverage sponsor Bitburger will provide isotonic refreshment with a delicious 0.0%. Info and registration: www.bike-transalp.de
Information on following the fifth Transalp stage
The stage location
King stages are naturally rather long, painful experiences. But this route is very entertaining in terms of scenery and riding technique. Above all, because it leads through Alpine regions where tourists are less likely to stray. From Lago di Calaita in the Paneveggio Nature Park (upper Valle del Vanoi) to the trail carved into the rock at Passo Brocòn and, of course, the famous Kaiserjägerweg.
The supply route, which was well camouflaged in the cliff face in 1911, now climbs up to the Lavarone plateau as a road, but the view and history are definitely worth every drop of sweat. For those interested in the First World War: The former front line ran along the plateau around the stage town of Lavarone. Seven well-preserved barrages tell the story of these bloody times and are worth planning an extra day. Info: www.100kmdeiforti.it
Refreshment tips
Rifugio Miralago: On the shores of Lago di Calaita you can not only stop for a bite to eat, but also spend the night in a very idyllic setting. Open daily from 18 June to 26 September, www.miralagocalaita.it
Otherwise, the route repeatedly passes mountain villages with refreshment stops. Only before the long cycle path passage in Val Sugana with the subsequent ten-kilometre Kaiserjägerweg in the rock face should you top up your drinking water reserves.
Lavarone Bike Park
Small but nice bike park with three downhill variants at the Monte Tablat cable car in Gionghi. Info on the routes: www.alpecimbrabike.it and on Instagram.
Accommodation
Lavarone is not a town, but a municipality made up of 19 smaller villages on the plateau above Trento. An overview of all accommodation can be found at www.alpecimbra.it
The finish of the BIKE Transalp 2022 will take place on 8 July in Gionghi. Sigmund Freud is said to have often spent his holidays here by the lake.
In the next part: Stage 7 - the finale from Lavarone to Riva del Garda. The GPS data for the entire Transalp route will be available to download from 4 July 2022.
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
