This colorful blob appeared briefly on my screen today, at Bruneck / Brunico in Italy, near the end of the final stage of the 2023 Tour of the Alps cycle race. So of course I had to find out about it.
![[Image: image.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/GhLh5WzL/image.png)
Turns out it's a variant of the ubiquitous FLIRT (Flinker Leichter Innovativer Regional-Triebzug in German and Fast Light Innovative Regional Train in English), built by the Swiss manufacturer Stadler, and running on the Pustertalbahn / Ferrovia della Val Pusteria in the South Tyrol / Südtirol / Alto Adige autonomous province of northern Italy, where about 2/3 of the population speak German as their first language, and 1/4 speak Italian.
![[Image: mit-der-pustertal-bahn-nach-innichen-928...width=1000]](https://img.fotocommunity.com/mit-der-pustertal-bahn-nach-innichen-928a9bd8-05fb-44bd-9408-7853e45b43fa.jpg?width=1000)
You learn something new every day.
The day's stage was won from the breakaway by Welshman Simon Carr, and the Tour of the Alps overall was won by a Brit whose team-leader is another Welshman - Geraint 'G' Thomas, so a satisfactory day all round.
Turns out it's a variant of the ubiquitous FLIRT (Flinker Leichter Innovativer Regional-Triebzug in German and Fast Light Innovative Regional Train in English), built by the Swiss manufacturer Stadler, and running on the Pustertalbahn / Ferrovia della Val Pusteria in the South Tyrol / Südtirol / Alto Adige autonomous province of northern Italy, where about 2/3 of the population speak German as their first language, and 1/4 speak Italian.
You learn something new every day.
The day's stage was won from the breakaway by Welshman Simon Carr, and the Tour of the Alps overall was won by a Brit whose team-leader is another Welshman - Geraint 'G' Thomas, so a satisfactory day all round.
![[-]](https://www.blueplastictracks.org/images/collapse.png)