Niclas Look and Nico Wollenberg successfully participated in the international Alpe Adria Tour, a race with four stages in Carinthia.
Riders from 13 nations competed in the Alpe Adria Tour, which took place near Klagenfurt. The fields of about 50 to 60 riders each in the U15 and U17 were not only international, but also filled with strong riders. Against this strong competition Nico and Niclas could hold their ground well.
Near Klagenfurt the Alpe Adria Tour started on Friday with a mountain race. Before the start it was still hailing, which made the temperatures more bearable. Niclas had to go first. The KTM youngster rode at the front and only had to let the four U15 competitors go shortly before the end of the 5.9 kilometer mountain course. As the fifth of about 60 starters, he managed a strong start. Nico also rode with great motivation and ambition. As 15th of 58 riders in the U17 category, he was satisfied with the result.
The race continued on Saturday with a flat individual time trial. This discipline is not one of the strengths of the two KTM youngsters and resulted in Niclas dropping to eighth and Nico to 22nd position.
The hilly third stage, a road race on Sunday with 30 kilometers and 675 meters of altitude for the U15s and 40 kilometers and 900 meters of altitude for the U17s, respectively, as well as a finish on a 15 percent steep road, was very demanding. Despite many attacks, no rider managed to break away, instead the field of the top 20 riders in the U17, including Nico, thundered into the finish area at high speed and determined their winner in a sprint. Nico finished a strong 15th, while Niclas took sixth place in the U15. In the final stage on Sunday, a flat road race held in Klagenfurt on the closed inner city ring, Nico and Niclas kept showing up in front and tried to improve. This was partially successful in the strong fields, as Niclas ended up seventh and Nico finished 17th. Both enjoyed the event a lot, and next year the KTM Youngsters plan to return.
Photography: SPS Sport Photography Stodolak
