Lifestyle: The field of participants in the 2nd Endura Alpen-Traum is filling up more and more with top-class cycling celebrities. After defending champion Stefan Kirchmair, numerous other high-performing cyclists have now confirmed their participation.
Bernd Hornetz, the 45-year-old from Karlsruhe and reigning UCI amateur world champion AK 45 – 49, is coming to the 2nd edition of the unique cycling event on Saturday, September 13, together with his Italian teammates Roberto Cunico, Enrico Zen and Alessandro Bertuola. to start in Sonthofen. With Cunico and Kirchmair are the newly crowned winners and the third of the Ötztalers at the beginning. It won't be easy for Jörg Ludewig, last year's runner-up in the Endura Alpen-Traum, to be among the front runners with his Alpecin team and to be on the winner's podium after 252 kilometers in the Sulden winter sports resort.
The performance density at the Endura Alpen-Traum has increased enormously compared to the premiere last year, where Kirchmair and Ludewig largely determined the race from Sonthofen to Sulden/Ortler alone, at least in the final phase, and the Tyrolean laid the foundation for his solo victory on the climb to the Umbrail Pass .
So the protagonists are in top form. But what counts even more is the strength of the exceptional Italian team from Hornetz and Cunico. Based in Veneto Team Beraldo Green Paper Europe Ovini comes to Sonthofen with all the top athletes, from where it goes over 6.078 meters in altitude over the five passes Hahntennjoch, Pillerhöhe, Reschenpass, Umbrail and Stilfser Joch to the mountain finish in the winter sports resort of Sulden am Ortler.
One day cycling across the Alps. This is the hottest challenge right now. For the marathon scene, these names have the same status as that of Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali among the pros. It doesn't get any better than that, one would like to say. And that's no exaggeration. Roberto Cunico, Enrico Zen and Alessandro Bertuola not only enjoy great respect in the Italian granfondo scene. Cunico in particular can look back on an impressive winning streak with victories in the Novecolli, the GranFondo CharlyGaul, the Highlander, the Alpenchallenge and the Ötztaler.
Of course, all eyes will also be on Germany's best-known recreational cyclists. Bernd Hornetz, last year's Masters winner over the shorter distance of 144 kilometers, is competing this time for the marathon distance and says: "I've never contested such a long race."
Still, he doesn't need to worry too much. Hornetz loves the length. And steep climbs. Exactly as the Endura Alpen-Traum has to offer. “Of course I want to win, you have to have that goal. But you have to be a realist. The list of favorites is long and international. Also, the most important thing is that one of our team wins, whoever, we are real friends.”
Source: Plan B
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