Tour Transalp: Vrecko and Kessler celebrate stage victory

The Strassacker / Garmin team crossed the finish line after a tactically clever performance in 3:08.35,6 hours. Only 0,8 seconds after the two Germans followed the two Belgian defending champions from Tauris – Grinta! Florian Glorieux and Bob Michels (3:08.36,4), who were able to take the overall lead.

The previous wearers of the yellow jerseys from Team Plasmatreat-Storck Bicycle 1, Daniel Pechtl (AUT) and Thomas Gschnitzer (ITA), reached the finish in fifth place, 4:29 minutes behind (3:13.05,3), behind Team corratec 1 Michael Spögler (ITA) and Michael Markolf (GER) (3:11.44,7) as well as Lightweight Squadra Corsa with the Italians Riccardo Zacchi and Carlo Muraro (3:13.04,2). Team Serpantin-Panavto (3:13.06,0), which, as in the previous days, was the real protagonist of the stage, followed in sixth place. Because Ivan Sedelkov (RUS) and Remmert Wielinga (NED) had pulled away on the first, extremely steep climb to the Passo Croce d'Aune and were subsequently able to shake off Spögler and Markolf, who were the only ones to match the high pace of the Russian-Dutch pairing The team was initially able to follow along, but lost contact on the descent.

On the flat section from Pedavena to Arten, a small chasing group formed, which Glorieux and Michels also joined again - just in time for the long and tough climb to Monte Grappa - after the Belgians had decided to follow their own rhythm on the descent to drive. A tactic that really worked: “It was very tough today because Sedelkov and Wielinga attacked again from the start. “We then continued at our pace up to Monte Grappa,” said Frederic Glorieux, recapitulating the course of the race.

Together with the Strassacker / Garmin team, the duo then pursued the escapees, who had to bury their hopes of their second stage win on the descent down to the flat due to a flat rear wheel at Sedelkov and also lost further ground in the overall ranking. Sedelkov and Wielinga still have to catch up with Sedelkov and Wielinga, who are over ten minutes behind with three days of racing left, including tomorrow's queen stage to Trento. Defending champion Glorieux also knows this: “The two of them are still some of the strongest competitors. We now have to ensure we keep the risk as low as possible and control the pace.”

In addition to the two Belgians, the day's winners were also the lucky beneficiaries of the unexpected outcome of the stage. However, Florian Vrecko once again emphasized that the success did not come by chance: “We had good legs and supported each other excellently tactically.” The championship leaders also worked well in the other categories, with three of the four leading duos achieving their fourth victory in were able to achieve success.

This is how it went in the other classifications: Drama in the mixed classification The two Austrians Günter Baringer and Axel Strauss from Roadbiker.at & Bike city won the Grand Masters ranking (3:31.06,5), while the Canadians from TNA-Method Jamie Armstrong and Geoff Dyke (3:35.55,3) won the Masters ,XNUMX).

In the women's classification, the Dutch Express with Linda Stuurman (NED) and Carla Mellema (NED) once again drove as if on rails along the southern main Alpine ridge (4:04.05.6).

The previously dominant mixed duo Bikeexpress with Anna Kiesenhofer (AUT) and Günther Flatscher (AUT) missed out on their fourth stage victory today after the strongest lady in the field hit a groove in the first tunnel on the descent from Fiera di Primiero due to poor lighting conditions overlooked and fell. At first glance, the 27-year-old remained largely uninjured apart from a few abrasions and the bike was also intact. But after the cycling glasses were broken during the crash, the duo lost a lot of time waiting for the glasses to be replaced.

“Thank God it ended relatively well. “Fortunately, we also had a bit of a lead that we now have to manage,” said Flatscher, who, together with Kiesenhofer, finished fourth mixed in Crespano del Grappa (3:48.42,0).

The victory, however, went to third place finishers Yvonne Margraf (GER) and Roger Nachbur (SUI) from Philipp's Bike Team (3:36.42,4).

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Tour Transalp: Vrecko and Kessler celebrate stage victory

Florian Vrecko (GER) and Nils Kessler (GER) won the fourth stage of the Tour Transalp 2018, which today led over 103,96 km, two passes and a total of 2.731 meters of altitude from Fiera di Primiero out of the Dolomites to Crespano del Grappa has.

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