Both in the women’s and men’s categories, familiar stage winners emerged on the third leg of this year’s Alpentour Trophy. The 59-kilometer stage led from Schladming up to the Reiteralm, covering nearly 2,580 meters in elevation. Once again, Adelheid Morath dominated the women’s race, while Leonardo Paez (COL) continued his winning streak among the men.

“I couldn’t be more satisfied with the day. I was able to break away from a group of six, gradually extend my lead, and secure another win. As long as nothing goes wrong tomorrow, the third overall victory at the Alpentour Trophy should be within reach,” Paez grinned after the race, visibly relieved. The 40-year-old Colombian secured his third consecutive stage win on Saturday with a time of 2:45:00 hours. Czech rider Filip Rydval took second place with a time of 2:45:48, followed by Diego Cuervo (COL) in third place at 2:46:23. Michael Holland was the best local rider, finishing 15th with a time of 2:58:33, thus retaining the Energie Steiermark jersey for the best Austrian.

In the women’s race, Adelheid Morath once again proved unbeatable. Matching Paez’s achievement, she secured her third consecutive stage win with a time of 3:31:17 hours, ahead of Czech riders Milena Kalašovà (3:34:45) and Karla Löffelmann (3:38:09).

Before tomorrow’s final mountain time trial, the overall victory seems almost certain in both the men’s and women’s elite categories. Paez leads by 6:30 minutes over Rydval, while Morath has an almost 16-minute cushion over her closest competitor, Kalašovà.

The final race against the clock begins tomorrow at 10 a.m., starting from the main square in Schladming and covering 11 kilometers with 1,100 meters of elevation up to the Schafalm.

### Premiere & Charming City Sprint

The organizers were delighted with the large turnout for the premiere of the “One Day Alpentour Marathon.” Nearly 100 bikers took on the new challenge of a one-day race over three different distances on Saturday. 

The second edition of the City Sprint for kids and youths also saw a record number of participants. A total of 120 young riders competed in various elimination races, bringing smiles and heartwarming moments to spectators with their enthusiastic efforts and joy for the competition.

“It is also important for us to set an example for the younger generation. Instilling a love for cycling in the little ones can only have positive effects. We were especially overwhelmed by the immense turnout—three times as many participants as last year. This shows how well such initiatives are received,” said organizer Regina Stanger, extremely pleased.