SPAR Swiss Epic 2022
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Rabensteiner/Geismayr and Janas/Morath win the opening stage
The starting signal for the SPAR Swiss Epic 2022 was given on Tuesday, August 16, at the very back of the Schanfigg valley in Graubünden, in the mountain destination of Arosa. Fabian Rabensteiner and Daniel Geismayr (Wilier Pirelli Factory) won the first stage in commanding style, while behind them the battle for the other podium places in the elite men's race was fought out in a sprint. Bettina Janas and Adelheid Morath (Davos Klosters Women) had the fastest legs in the elite women's race.
A cloudless sky and a magnificent view of the impressive mountain scenery awaited the 410 teams at the start of the SPAR Swiss Epic 2022 in Graubünden. A challenging circuit with start and finish in Arosa over 59 kilometers and 2,250 meters of altitude had to be mastered today. The strong climbing teams were able to test their legs on today's stage past the Arosa Bärenland, to the Jantesch Boden and the sandy soils, but the more downhill-oriented duos were also rewarded, especially on the flowing Hörnli trail down to the stage finish.
Geismayr was undoubtedly the strongest and most complete rider of the day. "Daniel was impressively strong today," praised his team partner Rabensteiner. "I lacked a bit of sprightliness today, perhaps because we did some tough altitude training until three days ago. But I still feel good. Daniel was super strong, so I just had to follow him." "I feel really good," says Geismayr with a smile on his face. "We had a lot of fun on the many trails on this route today. We rode at a good pace on the climbs, but still didn't lose too much energy. We never attacked, we just rode our rhythm and then found ourselves alone at the front, which gave us a good feeling. Being able to win the first stage is always brilliant."
The lead gained by Rabensteiner and Geismayr (Wilier Pirelli Factory) will only increase the good feeling of the two. The European and Austrian marathon champions put in a strong performance today ahead of Martin Frey and Simon Stiebjahn (Singer Racing Team), distancing the German duo by 3 minutes and 40 seconds. Dario Cherchi and Martino Tronconi (KTM ALCHEMIST & ATTITUDE) also had to admit defeat today when they lost the final sprint against Frey/Stiebjahn by a tiny 3 seconds. Hans Becking and his team partner José Dias (Buff Megamo) should not be satisfied, as they were still counted among the big favorites before the race. The almost 7 minutes they lost on the first stage are likely to weigh heavily. Becking and Dias therefore have a difficult task ahead of them if they want to ride across the finish line as overall winners of the SPAR Swiss Epic in Davos.
After a horror start to the race in 2019, when Bettina Janas and Adelheid Morath (Davos Klosters Women) had to make up a 15-minute deficit after two stages before claiming overall victory, their race performance today was flawless. The team reeled off the day's 2,250 vertical meters with ease and literally flew over the single trails. "It was simply a perfect day," says Morath. "We took it easy at the start, but still worked a lot in the leading group. On the second climb to Jantesch Boden, we were then able to open up a gap and hold on to it. You just have to stay focused and have fun on the bike!"
"It was a fantastic day with breathtaking views, great trails and technical sections," summarized the two-time winner. With regard to defending the leader's jersey she won today, Janas added: "We will continue to follow our plan, just as we did today. We will continue to concentrate, not overdo it, but still ride our own rhythm as evenly as possible. And also enjoy the trails."
The duo Janas/Morath (Davos Klosters Women) won today's first stage with a lead of 5 minutes and 10 seconds over the team Looser/Le Court (Efficient Infiniti Insure / Rare Street Coffee). Namibian Vera Looser, who narrowly missed out on a medal in the road race at the Commonwealth Games, is riding together with Kim Le Court from Mauritius. Switzerland's Janina Wüst and her Italian team partner Debora Piana (MTB Pro Merchandising - Team Cingolani) completed the stage podium in third place, also ensuring a Swiss podium finish.
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Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.