MendelRace 2017

8/4/2017

Andrea Zamboni and Alexandra Hober repeat winners on the Mendel Pass

The MendelRace attracted a new record number of participants this year:
Almost 160 athletes from Italy, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic and Slovenia came to compete in summer temperatures on Überetsch's local mountain.

And it turned out to be the expected exciting battle for victory: right at the beginning of the race, which started with a slight delay, a leading group of around 40 riders formed; the pace was very high right from the start. At the Kalterer Höhe - after a third of the course - the pace was stepped up again and the group was torn apart. Some participants were able to pull away from the rest of the field. From halfway through the race, a trio led the field: the reigning Italian champion and last year's winner Andrea Zamboni (Carina-Brao Caffé), the German Philipp Schäddel (Team Alpecin) - overall runner-up in the 2016 Tour of the Dolomites - and a strong Maurizio Anzelini (Bici e Sport Team), who was able to catch up with the initial leading duo. None of the three dared to attempt a breakaway and so, after a few changes in the lead, the trio arrived at the last kilometre together. In the last few hundred metres, it was Zamboni from Trento who finally had the better reserves and secured victory with a 5-second lead just ahead of Schäddel. Behind him, third-placed Anzelini crossed the finish line a further 8 seconds behind.

In the women's race, last year's winner Alexandra Hober (Athletic Club Merano) was able to assert herself; her lead over second-placed Julia Luck (Team Alpecin) was almost two and a half minutes. Third place went to Lorna Ciacci from Team Sportler-Best in the Alps.

An additional highlight was the ascent by bike trial specialist Simone Temperato, better known as "Magico Tempe". Last year he climbed the Mendel Pass on his racing bike, riding a wheelie, but this year he went one better: he completed the 14.8 km route without front wheel, fork and handlebars, taking just under 1h 15 minutes!

The race up the Mendel Pass once again marked the start of the 5-stage South Tyrolean amateur mountain racing series Südtirol.Berg.Cup, which is now in its 4th season.
The next stage will take place in the Adige Valley: the race from Lana to the Gampen Pass (1,512m), organised by the ARSV Vinschgau, will be held there on Saturday 13 May. The other stages of this year's Cup are: on 16 July 2017 the Prad - Stilfser Joch (2,757m) Trophy Raiffeisenkasse Prad-Taufers; on 19 August 2017 the Grand Prix Penser Joch (2,211m) "Moser Bau Team Trophy"; and on 17 September 2017 the "Sixth Trophy Reiterjoch" on the Reiterjoch (1,996m).

Downloads

< back MendelRace The Story

MendelRace 2017

8/4/2017

Andrea Zamboni and Alexandra Hober repeat winners on the Mendel Pass

Downloads

Dynamic Bike Team Eppan ASV