Warming up for the 17th Craft-BIKE-Transalp is not an option. Almost 98 kilometers and around 2,200 vertical meters await the more than 400 teams of two. The pros don't lay their cards on the table for the first two thirds. The field only splits up on the main ascent with its 800 meters of altitude. Two teams in the men's category stay together until the end. After a good three and a half hours of riding, there is a sprint between the duo Platt/Huber and the Germans Markus Kaufmann and Jochen Käss. However, the latter came out on top and Platt and Huber were the first winners to wear the leader's jersey. Alban Lakata (AUT) and Kristian Hynek (CZE) finished third, just under two minutes behind.

Swiss riders Lukas Buchli and Konny Looser finished in fourth place. "The first stage didn't really get going until kilometer 67, on the main climb. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep up with the best. Nevertheless, Konny conquered his "Hassberg" better than expected, which gives us a positive outlook for the next few days," says Buchli. After the main obstacle - the Marienbergjoch - the two lose further time and energy, as the German-Austrian duo of Hannes Genze and Daniel Geismayr, the team colleagues of the runners-up, refuse to take the lead. As a result, the two Swiss are forced to set the pace on their own in order not to lose any more time.

Swiss women on the podium
In the women's race, Silke Schrattenecker and Barbara Mayer beat off the competition. The two Austrians conquered the first stage around four minutes faster than Cornelia Hug and Andrea Fässler from Switzerland and will start the second stage in the pink leader jerseys. Another four minutes behind is the second Swiss women's duo with Barbara Liardet and Stéphanie Gutknecht.

The second stage rides the participants from Imst over 87 kilometers and 2,900 vertical meters to the stage finish. Shortly before the final 500-metre ascent to the finish in Nauders, the riders collect a few more kilometers in Switzerland.

Results Men

Results Women

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