Despite tough weather conditions the 2014 edition of the multisport race uvex Peak to Creek was a full success. Rain showers and low temperatures demanded everything from the 42 top athletes from seven disciplines. Divided into six teams, the disciplines of ski mountaineering, ski, mountain bike, mountain running, climbing, road cycling and kayak were covered before the entire team rushed down the Ötztaler Ache river in the rafting leg.
In the end Team Allstars 1 with road cyclist Thomas Niederegger (AUT) was able to win the much sought-after trophy of the demanding race in 05:05:50. Team Allstars 2 with ski mountaineer Thomas Martini (ITA) placed second in front of the local Ötztal team. For the first time in uvex Peak to Creek history a ladies team including ski mountaineer Alba De Silvestro (ITA) and free skier Tine Huber (GER) faced the challenge and put up a good fight against the male opponents with an overall time of 06:26:26.
In the beginning of the race things looked good for Team Allstars 1 already. With a decent lead, ski mountaineer Alexander Fasser (AUT) passed on the relay to team member and ski pro Axel Naglich (AUT) who was able to hold the lead. Just minutes behind him Dominik
Paris (ITA) and Frank Wörndl (ITA) were fighting a thrilling battle for the second rank. In the end ski legend Wörndl who won Olympic gold in Calgary gained advantage over Paris and passed on the Garmin fēnix relay bat to mountain biker Wolfgang Eysholdt (GER) three seconds ahead of Paris.
In the mountain bike leg things began to turn: With the mountain biker of the leading Team Allstars 1 being unable to compete due to injury, the team was forced to enter the subsequent mountain running leg last and thus suffered a big setback. Tadej Valjavec (SLO) of Team Allstars 3 who went head-to-head with Wolfgang Eysholdt of Team Allstars 2, was the first one to hand over to mountain runner Thomas Niederegger (ITA).
Helmut Schiessl (GER) then tried everything to get ahead of his opponent Niederegger. Tarquin Cooper (GBR) of the uvex Team and Markus Kröll (AUT) of Team Allstars 1, who was extremely keen to make up for the lost time of his team, started at the same time just after Johannes Schöpf (AUT) of the Ötztal team. In the end, Kröll was able to take over Schöpf after the first third of the demanding race.
During the climbing stage the tables turned again: Martin Schidlowski (GER) of Team Allstars 2 made up ground against Stewart Watson (GBR) who was initially ahead Schidlowski, and passed the relay bat onto Jan Ullrich (GER). Around 30 seconds later, Antonio Corradini (ITA) started his chase.
In the meantime, the battle for the third and fourth place was on at the Engelswand wall. Hansjörg Auer (AUT) of Team Allstars 1 was ahead of Lukas Ennemoser (AUT). Eventually, he passed on to team member Thomas Rohregger (AUT), who delivered the best performance of the day. With a 15 minutes delay, he was able to overtake the leading cyclist Jan Ullrich and make up leeway for Team Allstars 1.
In the kayak discipline Sven Lämmler (GER) was first to prove his skills. Due to the high water level, the kayakers where facing more extreme conditions than ever before. In the final rafting stage the entire team then faced the hefty Ötztaler Ache and fought a thrilling battle
for the victory of uvex Peak to Creek – however, none of the teams was able to catch up on the winning Team Allstars 1.
Allstars 1
05:05:50
Alexander Fasser (AUT), Axel Naglich (AUT), Daniel Federspiel (AUT), Markus Kröll (AUT),
Hansjörg Auer (AUT), Thomas Rohregger (AUT), Sven Lämmler (SUI)
Allstars 2
05:07:36
Thomas Martini (ITA), Frank Wörndl (GER), Wolfgang Eysholdt (GER), Helmut Schiessel
(GER), Martin Schidlowski (GER), Jan Ullrich (GER), Max Siech (GER)
Ötztal Team
05:27:39
Armin Neurauter (AUT), Florian Scheiber (AUT), Clemens Scheiber (AUT), Johannes Schöpf
(AUT), Lukas Ennemoser (AUT), Urban Gstrein (AUT), Bernhard Steidl (AUT)
Allstars 3
05:29:04
Ivo Zuliani (ITA), Dominik Paris (ITA), Tadej Valjavec (SLO), Thomas Niederegger (ITA), Stew
Watson (GBR), Antonio Corradini (ITA), Sam Sutton (NZL)
uvex Team
06:09:28
Marc Hochstaffl (AUT), Sebastian Hannemann (GER), Fabian Gleitsmann (GER), Tarquin
Cooper (GBR), Mario Lechner (AUT), Steffen Wesemann (SUI), Severin Häberling (SUI)
Ladies Team
06:26:46
Alba De Silvestro (ITA), Tine Huber (AUT), Barbara Bacher (AUT), Karin Karkhof (GER), Karrie
Gregson (AUS), Doris Posch (AUT), Anne Hübner (GER).
More information as well as an overview of all teams can be found on peaktocreek.at.
ABOUT UVEX PEAK TO CREEK
uvex Peak to Creek is a multisports relay in which athletes compete in the disciplines of ski mountaineering, skiing, mountain bike, mountain running, climbing, road cycling, kayak and rafting.
More information on the event and the route and the route can be found on www.peaktocreek.at
