The Schwalbe-TOUR-Transalp powered by Sigma celebrates its 10th jubilee in 2012 and the route that should be mastered in seven days from June 24-30 is appropriately for this occasion a firework of famous passes and amazing places. Racing cyclists who have already taken part in it will be happy to know that the east „Dolomite route“ will be taken again in 2012. Many consider this route to be the nicer one from the two Transalp-routes. Passes such as the Timmelsjoch, the Würzjoch, the Gardena Pass, the Sella Pass and Passo Fedaia are top league both when it comes to sports and landscape making passionate cyclists savor every bit of them. These Alps crossings raise the anticipation of the Schwalbe-TOUR-Tansalp powered by Sigma 2012. Whoever has cycled here once, will always want to return. You simply can’t get enough of it.
An extra portion of suspense is provided with the new passes that have never before been part of the TOUR-Transalp. One of them is the Monte Grappa, the famous vantage summit over the Po valley that ascends firstly with modest aloofness in the forested northern slope only to pull out all the stops with full panorama points in the winding south-facing descent. The very next day, on the 7th stage 7 comes the oddest climb of the year. The ascent that is cut in the rock, winds in countless bends from turn to turn. The master builder must have lost his ruler here or he has had a bit too much to drink – a remarkable street structure. The actual pass is the green plateau of Asiago – with the Sette Communi, a Bavarian language island in North Italy. No less fascinating is the descent to Arsiero. Serpentines couldn’t be any narrower than these ones. Between the two valleys there are partly only vertical walls – spectacular!
Lo and behold: even the hidden treasures, the insider tips that will be cycled in 2012 are also real classics. Just like the entire Schwalbe-TOUR-Transalp powered by Sigma that may be called a real classic by the time of its 10th anniversary.

	km	hm	number of passes	passes
1. stage	115,16	2.467	2	Leutasch, Kühtai	to stage 1
2. stage	123,87	2.998	2	Timmelsjoch, Jaufenpass	to stage 2
3. stage	85,1	2.939	2	Würzjoch, Furkelpass	to stage 3
4. stage	107,05	2.561	3	Grödnerjoch, Sellajoch, Passo Fedaia	to stage 4
5. stage	128,7	3.047	3	Passo Valles, Passo Rolle, Monte Grappa	to stage 5
6. stage	146,38	2.740	3	Asiago, Melignon, Passo della Fricca	to stage 6
7. stage	101,92	2.225	2	Viote, Passo del Ballino	to stage 7
Gesamt	808,18	18.877	17

Altitude profile