Cyclingquotes.com is focusing on one of the biggest cyclingevents, Tour Transalp, and here is the first of a series of articles.

It was a stack of feedback Uli Stanciu, the former BIKE editor, had received after he had crossed the Alps back in July 1990 as one of the first athletes ever to do so.

Together with Michael Conrad and Christian Roschmann, the journalist had crossed the main ridge of the Alps from Mitttenwald to Bozen covering a total distance of about 300 km and 7,000 meters of climbing.

The following report finally aroused a huge interest and a general Transalp hype. Within less than a week, the MTB pioneer, who finally became a Hall of Famer in 2015, had received about 4,500 post cards.

Stanciu noticed that something really big would come into being.

After some first talks and on-site visits back in 1997, Stanciu started to work on his first idea of a race across the Alps. Only with the help of a tiny road book and twenty check points on the way to Lake Garda, participants should compete in a non-stop orienteering race with the first to make it to the finish being the winner. Stanciu simply didn't expect public authorities to cooperate for a stage race.

However, the unexpected high number of registrations as well as the statement of extreme sport athlete Hubert Schwarz to cover the distance in less than two days did motivate him to work over the whole Transalp idea.

After numerous visit to authorities, the help of the state of Tyrol, countless meetings and on-site visits including interviews with locals to find out the best route, the BIKE Transalp was born – back in the days named Transalp Challenge.

Finally in 1998, a field of 250 teams of two competed in the inaugural race to tackle 595.79 kilometres and 18,419 meters of climbing.

It was a real placket – but in the end worth all the stresses and strains, and for some a real test for even more to come. During the final party, one racer climbed the stage, took a ring out of his bag and full-throated asked: “Mirinda, do you want to marry me?” Mirinda said “Yes!”

If you want to race Tour Transalp, sign up on Bike-Transalp.de.