Hermann Pernsteiner claimed his second stage victory at the 2025 Alpentour Trophy on the Reiteralm, while Colombia’s Héctor Paez defended his leader’s jersey by the narrowest of margins. In the women’s field, Germany’s Adelheid Morath continues her dominant run. The overall victory will be decided in tomorrow’s decisive uphill time trial to the Schafalm.
Pernsteiner victorious again – Paez holds onto yellow
Hermann Pernsteiner and Héctor Leonardo Paez (COL) delivered a thrilling head-to-head battle over 57.1 kilometers and 2,650 vertical meters on the third stage to the Reiteralm. The 34-year-old Austrian broke away from the field early and held the lead until the penultimate climb. It was only there that Paez managed to close the gap, setting up a final showdown between the top two in the general classification. On the decisive downhill from the Planai, Pernsteiner had the stronger finish and secured his second stage win of the race in a time of 2:42:55.
“I was in front until the second-to-last climb – then it got exciting again. I managed to win the stage, so I can’t complain. Tomorrow comes the mountain time trial – that’s exactly my thing. So I’m looking forward to it.”
With this result, Pernsteiner has now been on the podium in all three stages – two victories and one second place – showing remarkable consistency. Paez, the 43-year-old veteran from Colombia, crossed the line just one second behind and confidently defended the Alpentour leader’s jersey. His lead in the overall standings remains at 2:01 minutes going into the final day.
Final showdown for the Alpentour jersey ahead
The stage is set for a dramatic conclusion: Sunday’s individual time trial to the Schafalm will decide the overall classification. The 11.3-kilometer course with 1,100 meters of elevation gain starts from Schladming’s main square at 9:30 a.m., with riders starting in one-minute intervals. The finish lies at 1,777 meters above sea level on the Schafalm.
Pernsteiner is known for his strength in uphill time trials, while Paez brings experience – and four previous Alpentour overall wins – into the final climb. The winner will be crowned at the summit.
Morath unbeatable – Kalašová strong again
In the women’s race, Adelheid Morath (GER) continued her flawless performance, securing her third consecutive stage win in 3:25:01 and extending her lead in the general classification.
Milena Kalašová (CZE) once again delivered a strong ride, staying in touch for much of the stage and finishing second in 3:27:09, her third podium in three days. Tereza Tvarůžková (CZE) completed the top three in 3:29:08. Sabine Sommer was the best Austrian finisher in sixth place.