#TotA Day 1 – The action restarts from Alpbachtal 

Land of flowers and wooden structures adorned by geraniums and begonias, Alpbachtal became the home of the Tour of the Alps. After yesterday’s teams presentation in Alpbach, the most beautiful flower village in Europe, the TotA peloton is ready to start its adventure on the euro-regional roads with stage 1 of the 46th edition.

Entirely run in Tirol, Tour of the Alps’ stage 1 starts from Rattenberg at 11:55 am CET. Instead, the finish line is located in Alpbach after 127,5 Km. The early part of the race course winds along the gentle slopes of the Inn river valley, following a wide circuit to be repeated twice. After the first 75 Km do not feature any significant difficulty, the route becomes more challenging thanks to the categorized climbs of Brandenberg and Kerschbaumer Sattel (with sections with double-digit gradients), the latter preceded by the climb of Reith in Alpbachtal. Kerschbaumer Sattel’s descent might not be very fast, but it can still be selective, given the narrow road and the many bends. Finally, after a very short flat section, the last 4.5 kilometers climb again, with steeper gradients in the final kilometer.

DISPOSITION

Meeting Place: 10.00, Rattenberg, Platz Brau
Start: 11.55, Rattenberg, Achenrain
Finish: 15.15, Alpbach, Alpbach 246
Intermediate Sprints: Kundl (km 26,4), Reith im Alpbachtal (km 104,9)
KOM: Brandenberg (3a cat., km 80,7); Kerschbaumer Sattel (2a cat., km 116,2)
Permanence: Alpbach, Congress Centrum, Alpbach 246 

THE STARTING LINE: RATTENBERG. With only about 400 inhabitants packed into 0.11 square kilometers, Rattenberg is the smallest town in Austria. These characteristics are evident in the town’s unique way of life: no gardens, garages, or cellars can be found in Rattenberg. The medieval town has much to offer with its architecture, Augustiner Museum, Schlossberg, and numerous glassmakers' workshops. The pro cyclists’ time trial at the 2018 Innsbruck Cycling World Championships also kicked off from Rattenberg.

ON THE ROAD: Angerberg is located in the heart of the Inn Valley. The lovely village –with its ancient farms and hamlets – is a popular holiday resort for hikers and cross-country skiers. Mt. Buchacker rises up above the village, from which the Hundalm Ice Cave can be reached with a few hours hike from town. 

THE FLAVOR OF THE STAGE: Reith im Alpbachtal’s dairy produces the renowned hay milk cheese. More than 70 farmers bring their valuable milk, which is free of GMOs and chemicals, to the dairy. This unique product has earned Alpbachtal the title of Genuss Region (Region of Gastronomy) from the Agrarmarkt.

DON’T MISS: The parish church with a bell tower in the name of St. Oswald of Northumbria is one of the highlights of Alpbach. In the nearby graveyard, by the wall to the left of the front door, rests Erwin Schrödinger, Nobel prize winner in physics.

THE FINISH: ALPBACH. With its solid wood architecture and beautiful floral decorations, Alpbach is considered one of the most beautiful villages in all of Austria. Situated at exactly 1,000 meters above sea level, the village is the starting point for stunning hikes in the Kitzbühel Alps. In winter, same as in summer, Alpbachtal is an ideal family vacation destination.

TV DISTRIBUTION

Every day, two hours of live broadcast will characterize 2023 Tour of the Alps, from 13.30 to 15.30 CET, thanks to the production and international distribution by PMG Sport, together with the strategic synergy of Infront Sports&Media.

TV: Eurosport (Europe, East Asia, USA, Canada, South America, Central America, Pacific Area, Indian Subcontinent), RaiSport (Italy, San Marino, Vatican City), Equipe TV (France), TV2 (Denmark). 
LIVE STREAMING: Raiplay, Eurosport, GCN – Global Cycling Network, Repubblica.it, Tuttobiciweb.it, Federciclismo, PMG Sport.

SIDE EVENTS

Rattenberg:

•    10.00 AM Rattenberg’s orchestra enters the city.
•    10.00 AM Photobox

•    10.00 AM – 12.30 PM Schools and kindergarten join the fans’ area
•    10.00 AM – 12.00 PM VIP area in a London retro/vintage-bus
•    11.00 AM Speech by Markus Kofler (Alpbachtal Tourismus CEO ) and Bernhard Freiberger (Mayor of Rattenberg)
•    11.00 AM Smoothie “Bike” in the fans area
•    11.30 AM Local school music show

Alpbach:

•    3.30 – 5.30 PM Photobox and “Bike” Smoothie in the fans area

•    4.30 PM Alpbach’s orchestra enters the city
•    4.30 – 5.30 PM Farmer’s Original Pizza

WEATHER FORECAST: The riders will find weak rain and low temperatures for their first Tour of the Alps effort.