The second Craft Bike Trans Germany will start Sunday, June 1 in Erbach im Odenwald. After seven stages, about 250 teams of two are expected to reach this year's finish town health resort Seiffen on June 7.
Among the men's favorites are two biathletes who've had plenty of success on skis and with their rifles. Andreas Birnbacher and Michael Greis will try to make it with all other athletes to health resort Seiffen (June 7th), which is this year’s finish town. The two will get to see if they can race their bikes as well as they can ski.
They will face more proven teams like Team Rocky Mountain with Carsten Bresser and Daniel Gathof; the Craft & friends / Team Bianchi with Martin Kraler and Thomas Dietsch; the Rothaus-Cube MTB Team with Frank Lehmann and Uwe Hardter); and Fiat/Rotwild with Silvio Wieltschnig and Thomas Nicke.
On the women's side, the main contenders are Team Rocky Mountain with Alison Sydor and Pia Sundstedt. In addition, Kerstin Brachtendorf will start with her partner from France Danièle Troesch as Team Fiat-Rotwild.
In the mixed category, two twins have challenged each other to a duel. Sandra Klose will pedal together with Christian Wustmann as Team Zwillingscraft 1. Her sister Peggy will race with Dietmar Steck on Team Zwillingscraft 2.
Brothers Ralph and Timo Berner of Team Erbach im Odenwald will take on last year's masters' category winners, Milan Spolc and Robert Novotny of Team Sachsenmasters, who won all eight stages.
This year's race will follow a more eastern route from Erbach im Odenwald to Seiffen in the Erz Mountains. The relocation came in response to traffic regulations. The route change has also resulted in an event one day shorter than in 2007.
TransGermany 2008
Sunday, June 1: Stage 1 - Erbach to Frammersbach
Monday, June 2: Stage 2 - Frammersbach to Bischofsheim
Tuesday, June 3: Stage 3 - Bischofsheim to Oberhof
Wednesday, June 4: Stage 4 - Oberhof to Bad Steben
Thursday, June 5: Stage 5 - Bad Steben to Schoeneck
Friday, June 6: Stage 6 - Schoeneck to Oberwiesenthal
Saturday, June 7: Stage 7 - Oberwiesenthal to Seiffen
For more information, visit www.bike-transgermany.de.
