The overall ranking got pretty mixed up at the fourth stage of the 14th TOUR Transalp powered by Sigma today which led over 133.61 km and 2,701 metres of climbing from Sillian to Fiera di Primiero, Italy.

By clinching their second consecutive stage win, Team Ail Trentino fulfilled their dream of crossing the finish line first as Fiera di Primiero is the home town of Massimo Debertolis. The former MTB world champion and his congenial teammate Johann Pallhuber clocked in a time of 4:05.16,4 therefore putting the masters as well as overall leaders under some pressure.

Just like the Italians two days ago, the Austrians of so far dominating team www.nom-training.com were ill-fated on a Dolomite stage losing nine of their comfortable ten minutes lead after finishing the ride across four saddles in disappointing 4:14.11,1 hours.

At first, Mathias Nothegger was able to avoid a bad collision at the end of the descent from the dreaded Passo Giao, the second saddle of the stage, before his team partner Hans Peter Obwaller seemed to have a monopoly on bad luck.

“Two turns later I had a defect at my front tyre and therefore lost contact to the leading group,” recalled Mathias Nothegger the moment of disappointment right before Alleghe.

“It didn't really work out to get it fixed properly so I had to pedal about 35 km to meet our supporting staff.”

Thereafter, Obwaller gave it all in on the last kilometres, bombed it to the finish in order to defend the overall lead and keep the gap to the rivals as small las possible.

His competitors, however, had tried to capitalise on his misfortune attacking right in the next climb to Forcella Aurine. Overall second ranked team Ail Trentino broke away from the so far 15-team leading group together with Team ERTL/RENZ – Velomotion 1.

Alongside Michel Minneart and Juergen Moreels the MTB legends were able to gain an advantage of 1.30 minutes on the pursuers until the second feeding zone which finally earned the two Belgian young guns their second stage win in the men category, too – 40 seconds behind of Debertolis and Pallhuber (4:05.58,1).

The top team from Italy had successfully countered an attack of the Belgian team which is supported by former ski star Martina Ertl in the final climb to Passo Cereda finally capitalising on the home field advantage in the descent to the finish.

“It was our goal to cross the finish line in first position today. It worked out. We are pretty happy with that,” said Pallhuber after the race.

Yellow Jerseys defend their lead

Also the attack for the overall stage win didn't really work out for Minneart and Moreels, the two TOUR Transalp first timers did make some good progress in the men's ranking.

Thanks to their strong performance in the steep Dolomites ramps today, ERTL/RENZ – Velomotion 1 is now sitting in the runner-up spot, only 4.32,3 minutes behind of the Yellow Jerseys of Team Strassacker / Garmin.

Florian Vrecko and Nils Kessler rolled in as fourth overall today (4:07.50,4), just behind Herrmann Radteam 2 (Christian Dengler and Maximilian Hornung , 4:07.49,7) putting their so far strongest rivals for the TOUR Transalp win, Daniel Pechtl and Martin Ludwiczek of Imst Tourismus 1 in their place again as the two Tyroleans lost a lot of time as seventh overall today (4:13.15,9). 

All results can be viewed online.