January 27/12 13:46 pm - TransAndes Challenge: Days 1-4 reports and results

Posted by Editoress on 01/27/12
 

The TransAndes Challenge is an extreme 6 day mountain bike race through the rugged Andes Mountains.

World Cup racer Juan Pablo Santiago is the race organizer of TransAndes Challenge which is in its 4th year in the Chilean Patagonia, the foothills of the beautiful and stunning Andes Mountains.

There are a number of Canadians racing in many categories

Stage 1 (January 23rd): Stefan Sahm is the first stage winner of Transandes Challenge 2012

Germany's Stefan Sahm took first place on stage one of the Transandes Challenge and the lead in teh general classification. The first stage tokk place between the town of Panguipulli and Huilo Huilo Natural Reserve, in the middle of the chilean patagonia.

At 10:00 AM the Transandes Challenge competitors set out on the first stage in the town of Panguipulli, with the local citizens appreciating the passage of the 190 riders.

The stage took place under threatening skies and covered a mixture of single track, secondary roads and paved roads along with a beautiful river ford. The stage was 82 kilometres in length with 2340 metres of total climbing.

The stage winner Stefan Sahm finished in 3 hours 45 minutes and 56 seconds. In the second position was American Jason Sager with 3:48:25. Third place overall and first in Team category was for Chilean Javier Püschel and Argentinian Luciano Caraccioli. Americans Mary McConneloug and Michael Broderick won the Open Mixed categorie with a time of 4:38:35.

Stage 1 results

Stage 2 (January 24th): American Jason Sager wins the second stage after a close finish

Jason Sager and Stefan Sahm were the protagonists off a close stage definition, with American Sager was the stage winner but Germany's Sahm continued as the  Overall clasification leader.
 
The second stage was the shortest stage of this Transandes Challenge edition, but not the easiest one. On the 50 kilometres of the  stage rider experienced many different climb and descents with an accumulation of  over 2300 metres of climbing. This technical stage required their best efforts all day.
 
Stage winner Jason Sager completed the course in  3 hours 09 minutes and 30 seconds, with Stefan Sahm arriving less than one second after. In the Open Men's Team Category the stage winners was the team composed by Chilean Javier Püschel and Argentinian Luciano Caraccioli with 3h 12m 50s. The Open Mixed Category was  again the Americans Mary McConneloug and Michael Broderick who completed the stage on 4h 4m 33s.

The Wednesday 25th third stage, will connect Huilo Huilo Reserve with Coñaripe Thermal Complex. This will be another demanding stage of 78 kilometres distance and almost 2500 metres of total climbing, probably the most challenging stage of this Transandes edition.  Difficult yes, but at the same time, one of the most beautiful.  Riders will experience may  different kinds of road conditions in the middle of a native forest and through an amazing section along Caucau river.

Stage 2 results


Stage 3 (January 25th): Stefan Sahm wins the most difficult stage

German cyclist Stefan Sahm extended his lead in the overall standing by winning the demanding third stage of Transandes Challenge, which joined the Reserve Huilo Huilo Reserve with Menetúe Thermal Complex

During this third Transandes Challenge stage competitors really begun to feel the rigor of competition, the fatigue has accumulated during the previous stages along with the intense heat and the grueling 76 kilometres and 2500 metres of climbing . All this while still remaining the last 3 stages of competition with many other demands to face.

After the start in the Huilo Huilo Reserve competitors climbed a steep ascent close to Pirihueico. After the completion of the they continued along old logging roads that took the  competitors towards Coñaripe Thermal Complex,  where the finish line was located.

The stage winner was once again Germany’s Stefan Sahm, who has increased his lead over American Jason Sager, who today arrived in second place in the Open Men category and third in the overall standings of the stage. In Team Open Men category the winner was the team composed by Argentinean Luciano Caraccioli and Chilean Javier Püschel. In the Open Mixed Team  category once again was won by American duo of Mary McConneloug and Michael Broderick

On Thursday 26 will develop the fourth stage, which consists of 78 kilometres long between Coñaripe Thermal Complex and Menetúe Thermal Complex. This stage includes the Transvolcanic pass between Villarrica’s volcano and Quetrupillán volcano among a beautiful forest of Araucaria’s Pine tree.

Brief Stage 3 results


Stage 4 (January 26th):Team of Luciano Caraccioli and Javier Püschel are the  stage four winners
 
Chilean Javier Püschel and Argentine Luciano Caraccioli were the winners of the fourth stage of Transandes Challenge 2012. Stage took place between Coñaripe and Menetúe Thermal Complex and which included ta passage through the Villarrica National Park where there is an impressive Araucaria Pine forest

The fourth stage of Transandes Challenge has proved to be the shortest into the stages developed at the time, although they have been long 78 km, these lands have been developed for easy movement, with long climbs and fast descents which allowed have shortest competition times were than those developed during the previous days
 
The start took place at 9:30 am from the campsite in Coñaripe Thermal Complex. From that point the race moved toward the village of Coñaripe to ascend to the Villarrica National Park, where the riders followed an historic route through a spectacular forest of ancient araucaria pines and then passed by the majestic Villarrica Volcanoone.

The winning team of Püschel and Caraccioli set a time of 3 hours 13 minutes and 58 seconds, the second place was for Jason Sager from United States with  Stefan Sahm taking third. Once again the winners of the mixed open team category were the Americans Mary McConneloug and Michael Broderick with a time of 3 hours 41 minutes and 42 seconds

The fifth stage will take place on Friday 27th, with start and finish at Coñaripe Thermal Complex, which promises to be the queen stage of the competition because of the difficulty of the route and the beauty of the terrain.

Stage 4 results