Gore-Tex Transalpine-Run — Stage 7
Symonds + Owens simply unbeatable / New records established across highest pass of the race
To say that Andrew Symonds and Tom Owens rushed it to the finish line today would be yet another understatement– ‘blasting through the course’ would be a more accurate description of their performance. Despite a distance of 34.51 kilometers, a vertical gain of 2,004 meters and an even bigger vertical loss in their legs, the two British racers did not appear particularly exhausted upon arriving in Silandro after 03:34:46.0 hours.
Team ‘Saab Salomon Outdoor’s landslide time beat the previous stage record by amazing 40 minutes. With no snow on the trail, dry conditions in the early morning and comfortable temperatures for racing, other teams also managed to obliterate the record. Italy’s ‘Telmekom Team Südtirol’ around Michael Fischer and Roland Osele, for instance, came in second with a time of 03:50:03.0 hours, while Thomas Geisenberger and Michael Veit (‘Team Dr. Steinbauer’) raced to third place in 03:53:33.2 hours.
Despite these landmark times, the two second- and third-placing Men’s teams hardly have a chance to threaten the British ‘Blitz’ team at this point. Tom Owens and Andrew Symonds maintained demoralizing high speeds throughout the stage, already establishing a huge lead by the time they reached the first food stop today. Owens explained what spurned them on: “We just felt great. The course was very inspiring and we managed to run at an even faster pace because of it.”
Overall victory within reach of Team ‘Saab Salomon Outdoor’
With the finish at Latsch almost within sight down valley and only one relatively lenient climb to go, the ‘British Blitz’ team now feels confident about winning the race. Andrew Symonds, who is also enjoying a family vacation with his wife and five-month-old son this week, added: “We’ve really enjoyed this week up to now and hope to be able to do so tomorrow as well, which means getting through without injuries.”
Several other teams also tried to put the finishing touches on their established ranks during today’s stage between Malles and Silandro. Both second- and third-placing Men’s teams had hoped to settle the race by midday. Roland Osele of ‘Telmekom Team Südtirol’ shared their strategy: “We had planned an attack on the way up to Rappenscharte Pass. And indeed we managed to get away and keep it that way.” Team colleague Fischer added: “We want to arrive in Latsch in third place overall. That’s why we launched our assault today. With the mission accomplished we can now enjoy tomorrow’s stage.”Mixed-Leaders run an impressive stage to the sky
Angela Mudge and Ben Bardsley redefine the adage ‘only the sky is the limit’ within the Mixed category. Team ‘Saab Salomon Outdoor’ was the sixth team to cross the finish line in Silandro today. The two British racers needed only 04:05:54.4 hours to cover what translates to a full day’s effort to most participants in this race.Consistently delivering such accomplishments throughout the week has propelled the Mixed team around Sky Running world champion Angela Mudge to top results – i.e. a sixth place in today’s overall ranking.
Fellow British Team ‘TPC Freight Management’ (04:28:26.5 hours) managed to maintain a second-placing rank – a comfortable position Ilona Robertson and Casey Morgan have grown accustomed to by now. Siblings Annemarie and Ulrich Gross also ran up a storm (04:32:17.2) despite a mishap yesterday that ended Ulrich in hospital with a broken thumb. Their third place today seemed all the more impressive as ‘Telmekom Team Südtirol’s Ulrich Gross sported a cast on his right hand.
Master-Leaders ‘BLT Laufsport Saukel Haglöfs’ keep on giving it allAlthough Dr. Thomas Miksch and Anton Philipp could probably afford risking a more relaxing pace without having to chance their overall leadership at this point, they keep on racing as if all could be lost yet. These guys don’t strategize around their lead but simply give it all, every day! That fervor won them their seventh consecutive stage victory today (04:03:44.4), a distinction they share only with the Mixed leaders this year. Second across the finish line were Oscar Perez Lopez and Eladio Guiler Lantada Zarzosa (Team Elyos, 04:21:12.3 hours) of Spain. ‘Team Schwarzwald Express’, an American-German collaboration around Joseph Gallagher and Sven Buchheister came in third claiming another podium position with a time of 04:31:07.7 hours.
Leading ‘Team Latsch’ underscores its entitlement among the Women’s
The closer Irene Senfter and Petra Theiner get to home, the more they demonstrate a ferocious appetite for overall victory. With only 04:42:42.3 hours to Silandro, they set a pace that was hard to match for any of their pursuers. With six stage victories under their belt and a cushy lead, nothing short of a mishap can stop ‘Team Latsch’ from winning at this point. That would translate into a third triumph for Senfter who’s laid claim to that title twice before (2006, 2007).‘Team Sexten Salomon’ around Martina Pfeifhofer and Elisabeth Egarter, coming in as ever-seconds (04:48:53.0), once again ran a blistering pace today but were again unable to touch the performance of their archrivals. Germany’s Regine Schlump and Carmen Schundler of ‘Team Intersport-Salomon Womenice’ (04:59:46.7 hours) came in third.
Preview Stage 8 – Silandro (ITA) – Latsch (ITA)
The participants of the 5th GORE-TEX® Transalpine-Run will face their last challenging stage tomorrow. They’ll have to master another 28.62 kilometers and a vertical gain of 1,817 meters before taking off their worn running shoes for good tomorrow. The highlight of the stage is the Göflaner Scharte, a scenic pass in the Ortler Range that affords stunning views over 270 degrees. On the descent via Kreuzjöchl, the racers will run much steep single-track before reaching the vineyards along the valley bottom just before Latsch.
Photo credit © GORE-TEX® Transalpine-Run Peter Musch
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