Massimo Debertolis and Andreas Laner won for the second consecutive year the Craft Bike Transalp, the mountain bike stage race crossing the Alps in seven stages, starting from Ruhpolding, Germany, to Riva del Garda. The winning ride of the pair of Wilier Force in the Master category ended this afternoon in the Basso Sarca. The two have managed their large advantage in the standings built in the six previous days (six wins in six stages), which amounted to 1h05'49" on the Germans Listmann and Anthes, and 1h24'39" on Damm and Schuchardt. They finished this stage in fourth place, this time leaving room to the opponents. 

Rather than a strategy, it was a necessity; Laner accused stomach problems from the start and had to struggle to finish this very challenging stage, 75 kilometers long, with 2,555 meters of altitude, which touched Altopiano della Vigolana, Valle del’Adige (Aldeno), Piana delle Viote, Valle dei Laghi and then the Basso Sarca. Today, for the first time, Damm and Schuchardt (Team Scott) won the stage with 3 minutes ahead of Listmann and Anthes (Bike Magazin), 11 and 3/2 on Olivieri and Capovilla (Team Centurion Vaude) and 11 minutes and 16 seconds on Debertolis and Laner. In the final standings, nothing has changed: following the two Italians, the Germans Christoph Listmann and Michael Anthes, behind 57 minutes, then the other two German Thorsten Damm and Michael Schuchardt, behind one hour and 13 minutes. The other 52 couples all very far away.

 "We really wanted to win all seven stages - Massimo Debertolis says - but unfortunately this time we had to make it to the finish. Andreas struggled a lot in those conditions, but did well to face the situation." For them it remains the satisfaction of having the second consecutive victory in this fascinating competition, where Debertolis as senior, had already two podiums and seven stage victories. Now, a few days of rest before tackling the season finale.