Friday, 03 September 2010 17:03
Team Salomon's Sandes and Dokes head into the Alps with high hopes
Ryan Sandes and Linda Dokes start racing the Gore-Tex Transalpine Race on Saturday 4 September competing for a podium position in the mixed pairs category as Team Salomon / Velocity Sports Lab.
Ryan and Linda are the only South Africans taking part in the race – so not only are they representing as Team Salomon/ Velocity Sports Lab – they are also representing the whole of South Africa.
Included below is some additional race info.
You can follow the race on the official race website - http://www.transalpine-run.com/alps_cross_start.htm
THE RACE
1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Starting in Ruhpolding, Germany, the whole Transalpine circus is travelling though Austria to South Tyrol, Italy. In eight stages, all participating pairs will once again experience a scenically outstanding routing. The GORE-TEX® Transalpine-Run 2010 will be challenge for body and soul again and like all the years before, this event is made for ambitious trail and triathlon runners, Nordic walkers as well as marathon and mountain runners.
2. DATE
START Saturday, September 4, 2010, 11:00 AM in Ruhpolding (GER) FINISH Saturday, September 11, 2010 in Sexten (ITA)
4. CATEGORIES
MEN, MASTER-MEN (both Team members are male and together over 80 years), SENIOR-MASTER-MEN (both participants totalling 100 years of age and more, takes place when 20 Teams are participating in this category!), MIXED and WOMEN.
There are 300 teams in the race.
THE RACE
Start in teams of two
4 Categories
8 Days
8 Stages over the Alps
8 Stage Towns
3 Countries
ca. 305 KM horizontal distance
ca. 13.500 meters climb
STAGE TOWNS
- Ruhpolding (GER) – St. Ulrich im Pillerseetal (AUT)
- St. Ulrich im Pillerseetal (AUT) – Kitzbühel (AUT)
- Kitzbühel (AUT) – Neukirchen am Großvenediger (AUT)
- Neukirchen am Großvenediger (AUT) – Prettau/Ahrntal (AUT)
- Prettau/Ahrntal (ITA) - Sand in Taufers (ITA)
- Sand in Taufers (ITA) – St. Vigil (ITA)
- St. Vigil (ITA) – Niederdorf im Pustertal (ITA)
- Niederdorf im Pustertal (ITA) – Sexten (ITA)
Course Director Wolfgang Pohl and his team inspected the newly designed eastern route step by step. With 305 kilometers it is the longest the GORE-TEX® Transalpine-Run has ever seen, and the difference in altitude totaling 13500 meters does add some spice to the mix. What has most notably changed, in comparison to the original plans, is the difference in elevation, but that will probably be appreciated by most runners.
"During the inspection of the route we have eliminated some of the difficult high-alpine portions in order to make sure we can carry out individual stages safely even under adverse weather conditions and guarantee our runners' safety" The result is an unbelievably diverse and extremely tough route with very long distances asking participants to give their all. And, just as the western route, it'll be on the most beautiful trails of the Alps.
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