Trans Andes kicks off 2012 MTB stage race season

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The Trans Andes Challenge begins on Monday in the small town of Panguipulli, located in southern Chile. 200 participants from 25 different countries are expected to take to the start of the race that will go through the Patagonian Andes Mountains.

Racers will cover six stages over six days in the fourth edition of the event, which includes 420km of racing and 12,000m of climbing. It finishes on Saturday, January 28 in Pucón, Chile.

Some of the best known racers include Germans Stefan Sahm, Udo Bolts and Carsten Bresser; Americans Mary McConneloug, Rebecca Rusch, Michael Broderick, Chris Carmichael and Jason Sager; and Chilean duo Javier Püschel and Argentine Luciano Caraccioli.

Stay tuned for complete coverage of the event as well as a race blog from Jason Sager.