well, as many of you on the forum know, i tore my ACL this winter while skiing. i was hoping to be fit again soon enough to still compete in the TransAlp Challenge in July, but it is already the end of May, so less than 2 months before the race, and my knee still swells when i ride just a short distance, so... i think i am going to have to cancel. :(

so, there is a start-place for the Addidas TransAlp Challenge 2004 available. the Challenge is the "hardest mountain bike race in the world", an 8-day MTB race over 600 km und 20,000 meters vertical climbing across the Alps from Mittenwald Germany to Lake Garda Italy!! the race is for 2-person teams and the start-place can be used for all categories: Mixed, Men, Women. it has been sold out since January.

for anyone interested, contact me here on the forums or at nathank9@web.de or +49-172-836-0844 (germany)

-Nathan

my brother rode in the trans alps challenge and he said it was amazing. he has done pretty big races ing the past such as the leadville 100 and placed 5th in his age category he said the climbing was unbeliveable. his partner unfourtunately was not up to par and he had to be pulled up the bigger climbs by bungee cord. besides that hes ready to pack up his hous e and move the austria.