Anton Palzer started at three in the morning at Marienplatz. He cycled the first 2 hours and 17 minutes to the ski stadium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen – battling strong headwinds. “The headwind on the bike leg was stronger than expected; staying on schedule was really tough,” Palzer said.
At 5:41 a.m. he reached his equipment depot in the Reintal valley and switched from cycling to mountain running. The first rays of sun accompanied him: “The mountain grass glistened in the morning dew, I was completely alone in this huge cirque – that moment gave me a real boost of energy.” He fought his way up steep switchbacks and moraine terrain to the Schneefernerhaus and then over the southwest ridge to the summit. He crawled the final meters to the Munich House on all fours. The clock stopped at 4:43:46 hours.
Palzer is a mountain runner and former professional cyclist who rode for Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and competed in the Giro d’Italia. For him, the record was not the main focus: “Pushing myself to the limit on the bike and in the mountains is pure happiness for me.” The classic hike through the Reintal to the Zugspitze typically takes eight to ten hours, often spread over two days.
Source: www.faz.net
