Cycling: Fantastic landscape, great races, beaming winners: This is how the 3rd ENDURA Alpen-Traum can be summed up. With the best external conditions, the Italian Enrico Zen (Team Beraldo Greenpaper) secured victory in Sulden am Ortler after 252 kilometers and 6078 meters in altitude. Last year's runner-up reached the finish in the 1900 m high winter sports resort in 8:34,04 hours with a lead of 16.38:21.14 minutes over Roman Herrmann from Baden-Württemberg (Team Continental) and Robert Petzold from Saxony (XNUMX:XNUMX minutes back). For the outstanding Zen, winning the ENDURA Alpen-Traum was the second big win within two weeks after his triumph at the Ötztal Cycle Marathon.
There was simply no match for this 56 kg lightweight from Veneto. When the 29-year-old started at the foot of the Umbrail Pass after 210 km, the decision for first place in the third edition of the ENDURA Alpen-Traum had been made. No one in the top ten was even remotely able to match Zen's pace. Almost always in an exhausting out-of-the-saddle position, the Italian pulled out a lead of almost 1 minutes on Robert Petzold up to the pass at 2501 m. At the highest point, the Stelvio Pass at 10 m, Zen still had enough time to put on gloves and a wind jacket for the frantic descent with the famous 2757 hairpin bends. After that he managed the final ascent to Sulden easily and easily and, despite a strong headwind, was only three minutes faster than the best time of the previous year.
“The Enrico is simply a different class. But for me, second place counts like a win,” said the exhausted but overjoyed Roman Herrmann at the finish line. After his third place in 2013 and 8th place last year, the Württemberger clearly missed out on victory, but showed an extremely strong tactical and physical performance. On the ascent to the Stilfser Joch, the 34-year-old was almost beaten in the fight for second place, but fought his way back up to Petzold and reached the top of the pass at 2 m, 20 seconds behind. "If I can really do something, then it's it Driving downhill,” laughed Herrmann from Upper Swabia. In Gomagoi, at the end of the descent, he was two minutes ahead of Petzold, who lost another three minutes on the final climb, but didn't worry. "I'm on the podium, what more could I want," said the student from Freiberg near Dresden.
At the start at 6.30 a.m. in Sonthofen, the starters of the long distance encountered ideal conditions. At ICE speed we went over the Oberjoch (1200 m) to the Hahntennjoch (1894 m), further in a stormy headwind over the Pillerhöhe (1559 m) southwards to the Reschenpass (1507 m) - and then down into the Vinschgau. After the Pillerhöhe, an eleven-man group with all the favorites had formed at the top, which was slightly hindered by the Almabtrieb on the approach to the Umbrail Pass, but otherwise harmonized splendidly.
"You didn't have a chance to go it alone early in this wind," explained Enrico Zen. Despite the snowfall of the past few days on the Stelvio Pass, the route showed itself from its best side. 13 degrees at the top of the pass and glorious sunshine made the 3rd ENDURA Alpen-Traum a real experience and adventure for the 809 starters.
In the women's long distance, Nadja Prieling (Austria) won in 10:32.10 hours and successfully defended her title from the previous year.
Victory in the master class went to Christian Weber (Spreitbach, 9:11:24 hours), who was the successor to Bernd Hornetz. The man from Karlsruhe, the best German marathon driver, canceled at short notice due to illness. In the Sen. Master Men class, ex-Telekom pro Mario Kummer was in good shape, but lost contact with the leading group on the ascent to the Pillerhöhe and finally finished fourth in 9:41:09 hours behind the Italian winner Stefano Pilo ( 9:30.02 hours)
On the short distance over 146 km starting in Landeck and finishing in Sulden, Austria's Daniel Wabnegg was the first to cross the finish line in 5:37.15 hours. As in the previous year, the fastest woman was the Italian Marina Ilmer (6:21.48:XNUMX hours).
Daniel Biehler (Austria, 118:4 hours) won the men's 23.11 km route, starting in Landeck and taking the direct route via Prad to Sulden. In the women's competition, Julia Agerer (Austria) prevailed in 6:26.36:XNUMX hours.