New status for established mountain bike stage race
UCI ranking points on offer for the 2010 TransAlp, now a category 2 stage race. (Image credit: TransAlp)
The TransAlp mountain bike stage race has been upgraded by the UCI to a class 2 stage race event. For the first time ever, the TransAlp will award UCI ranking points for the race's 13th edition, which will take place from July 17 to 24 from Fuessen, Germany to Riva del Garda, Italay.
The change is expected to draw more elite riders to the event that also attracts many amateurs. The best 25 teams of two in the final overall ranking will earn the UCI points, which play a role in determining which nations will qualify how many riders for the Olympic Games.
The winning duo will get 80 points, the runner-up team 70, the third ranked participants 60 points and the 25th team just one point.
A new fact which pleases two well-known faces from Team Bulls. Karl Platt (GER), a six-time Transalp winner, states: “
"It's awesome that the TransAlp has an UCI status now," said six-time TransAlp winner Karl Platt (Team Bulls). "This upgrade reflects what has been happening over the last years: it's a tough battle as some real professional sport is taking place for the top-10."
Platt's long time teammate Stefan Sahm, who triumphed with him in 2007 and 2008 in the race across the Alpine divine, said," Finally we can collect some world ranking points. This could be an additional motivation for some top teams to join the competition. Although this would make it harder for us, it would bring some more thrills for each stage."
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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
