Mathias Nothegger and Hans Peter Obwaller of team www.nom-training.com mastered this year's first stage from Imst, Austria to Brixen, Italy in a time of 4:30.40,9. Last year's fourth ranked duo of the overall standings therefore edged off the fastest men team of RSV Buehlertal Blackforest (Andreas Schmoll/Michael Markolf, 4:31.54,4) to the runner-up position whilst underling their claim on a successful title defence in the master's category.

This classifier for the men teams with a combined age of 80+ is strong and deep this year as also the third best team in the overall ranking comes from the older generation. Former mountain bike marathon world champion Massimo de Bertolis and his fellow countryman Johann Pallhuber (Ail Trentino) rolled in in 4:32.41,1.

Both MTB specialists set the pace together with Nothegger and Obwaller right from the start entering the first of two climbs up to Kuehtai together. And also in the long ascent to the Brenner saddle as well as during the downhill via Franzensfeste to Aicha, the quartet worked well together extending their lead on the pursuers.

In the last 200 metres sprint climb to the end of the timing right behind of Raas, the top racers of the day were able to break away.

Only defending champion Bart Bury was able to keep up with them. However, the Belgian racer won't have that much of a chance to keep hold on his title as his new BENOTTI / ax-lightness 1-teammate Bart Vrolijkx lost some 15 minutes today.

Especially as tomorrow's ride on the Sellaronda to St. Vigil will bring some more pain for the muscles with 110.84 km in distance and 3,059 metres of climbing as well as three saddles: Passo Sella, Passo Pordoi, Passo Campolongo.

It might then be the time for the second and third fastest men teams, who crossed the finish line side by side today, Hermann Radteam 2 and Team Strassacker, to close the gap of one minute on the leaders of the men's classification and the two minutes on the overall leaders.

Meyer/Ilmer stand out in women's race

Another tough stage could play into the hands of today's fastest women as Janine Meyer and Marina Ilmer claimed the win on the first of seven stages in dominant fashion – despite a crash of Ilmer.

Team LeXXi Smartsuits /ARSV Vinschgau clocked in a time of 5:01.14,6 relegating last year's runner up Marcellina Dossi and her new team partner Letizia Grottoli of the Italian pairing MONTURA GARDA TRENTINO with a lead of more then eleven minutes to the second rank (5:12.36,1).

“It was hard today. We tried to pedal our own pace up to Kuehtai. In the downhill, someone took out my partner but luckily nothing serious happened”, explained Meyer.

Germans Silke Keinath and Monika Dietl of Scott Contessa rounded out the women's podium as third (5:18.50,0).

Austrians Daniela Pintarelli and Andreas Traxl of Team MosserWirt St. Anton am Arlberg (4:46.17,6) as well as Swiss Harry Nussbaumer and Stefan Maag of RTU-Gubi's Bikeshop-alfa.ch (4:46.18,2) came in almost simultaneously triumphing in the respective mixed and grand masters category.

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