Race across the Alps

The Race across the Alps (RATA) is the extreme sports attributed, once a year, be registered in the summer by Austria , the Switzerland and Italy leading road cycling marathon .

organization

According to the organizers, it is the toughest one-day race in the world, for which the length of the route and meters in altitude could be given as evidence. However, according to the regulations and the terminology of the World Cycling Federation UCI, cycling marathons are not one-day races in the true sense, but "other road races" if only licensed cyclists take part, or races for everyone if amateur athletes take part.

history

The event was brought to life by Franz Venier , Othmar Peer and Max Wassermann , the former organizer of the Dreiländergiro . Venier, a well-known Tyrolean extreme sportsman, wanted to prove in 2000 that it is possible to climb eleven climbs of the Hors Catégorie with a total of 14,535 meters in altitude within 32 hours. His journey was documented by ORF and he reached his destination after around 27 hours.

In the following year, the RATA was held for the first time with 40 participants. In the meantime, it has achieved a very high level of popularity, the number of participants - also due to the numerous maximum difficulties - but usually not more than 50 participants.

RTL Television will broadcast some of the race live in Austria. At the very first edition of the Race across the Alps there was a surprise winner when the Austrian Gerrit Glomser secured first place. Up until now, Glomser had only appeared as a “normal” racing cyclist - moreover, he had just finished the Tour de Suisse a few days earlier . The situation is similar with the Italian Maurizio Vandelli , who has won four editions so far - three between 2008 and 2010 even in series - and is the record winner of the race. He was in the lead again in 2011, but had to give up due to an upset stomach. The winner of the RATA receives prize money of 3,000 euros, the second-placed 2,000 euros and the third-placed 1,000  euros . This is followed by gradations of up to 200 euros for tenth place.

Route

The start and finish of the Race across the Alps is traditionally the municipality of Nauders in the west of Tyrol. The route through Austria , Switzerland and Italy usually measures 540 kilometers and is therefore about as long as the Maratona dles Dolomites (138 km), the Dreiländergiro (168/134 km) and the Ötztal Cycle Marathon (238 km) combined. Around 13,700 meters of altitude must be climbed and the aim of every participating cyclist is to complete the RATA within 24 hours. To be listed as a "finisher", a 32-hour limit must not be exceeded. The route is not closed during the RATA, as it is a so-called cycle tourism event. The drivers must therefore also pay attention to the traffic and strictly observe the road traffic regulations.

Records

In 2017, the German Robert Petzold won the race for the third time in a row in the new record time of 20 hours and 40 minutes. In 2018 he won for the fourth time in a row.

The route included the following pass heights:

Reschenpass - Stelvio - Gavia - Passo dell ' Aprica - Mortirolo - Passo dell'Aprica - Bernina Pass - Albula Pass - Flüelapass - Ofenpass - Umbrailpass - Reschenpass

Winners list

year	Distance in km	Altitude meters	winner	Second place	third place
2019	533	13,600	Thomas Hoffmeister / GER	Robert Berger / AUT	Paul Lindner / AUT
2018	533	13,600	Robert Petzold / GER Daniel Rubisoier / AUT	-	Dominik Schranz / AUT
2017	533	13,600	Robert Petzold / GER	Patrick Hagenaars / AUT	Matthias Reinfried / GER
2016	533	13,600	Robert Petzold / GER	Walter Sageder / AUT	Severin Zotter / AUT
2015	533	13,600	Robert Petzold / GER	Walter Sageder / AUT	Ralph Diseviscourt / LUX
2014	533	13,600	Daniel Rubisoier / AUT	Venier Franz / AUT	Severin Zotter / AUT
2013	533	13,600	Daniel Rubisoier / AUT	Rainer Steinberger / GER	Thomas Strebel / SUI
2012	533	13,600	Daniel Rubisoier / AUT	Patrick Grüner / AUT	Paul Lindner / AUT Daniel Schnider / SUI
2011	533	13,600	Reto Schoch / SUI	Thomas Strebel / SUI	Cesare Richini Plinio / ITA
2010	533	13,600	Maurizio Vandelli / ITA	Paul Lindner / AUT	Pierre Bischoff / GER
2009	533	13,600	Maurizio Vandelli / ITA	Eckkehard Dörschlag / AUT	Heinz Zörweg / AUT
2008	533	13,600	Maurizio Vandelli / ITA	Heinz Zörweg / AUT	Daniel Wyss / SUI
2007	533	13,600	Rene Fischer / AUT	Christoph Strasser / AUT	Samuel Nagel / SUI
2006	540	13,720	Paul Lindner / AUT	Wolfgang Fasching / AUT	Rene Fischer / AUT
2005	540	13,720	Daniel Wyss / SUI	Samuel Nagel / SUI	Gernot Turnosky / AUT
2004	540	13,720	Valentin Zeller / AUT	Samuel Nagel / SUI	Dominique Briand / FRA
2003	540	13,720	Maurizio Vandelli / ITA	Daniel Wyss / SUI	Andrea Clavadetscher / SUI
2002	540	13,720	Paul Lindner / AUT	Marko Baloh / SLO	Jure Robic / SLO
2001	509	12,150	Gerrit Glomser / AUT	Marko Baloh / SLO	Herbert Meneweger / AUT

Web links

• / Official website of the Race across the Alps

Individual evidence

1. ↑ cf. Regulations for road cycling, there 2.9.001f and 2.3.001ff  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) and UCI regulations "Cycling for all" UCI CYCLING REGULATIONS (version on 22.12.08) PART 15 CYCLING FOR ALL ( Memento from 9 . May 2010 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on May 9, 2019
2. ↑ Petzold becomes RATA winner in record time , accessed on April 22, 2019
3. ↑ ex aequo; Race across the Alps 2018 , accessed April 22, 2019