The 2022 World Cup season kicked off in style, with nail-biting Downhill and Cross-Country races in Lourdes (FRA) and Petrópolis (BRA), setting the tone for the rest of the year. Traditionally, the World Cup will also land in Saalfelden Leogang, the Austrian town which was recently awarded the title of “Best Downhill World Cup venue 2021”, making it a mandatory stop for any Mountain Bike World Cup fan.
The legendary bike park in Saalfelden Leogang will once again play host to the first World Cup double header of the season. From 10 – 12 June, the world’s best Cross-Country and Downhill racers will test their mettle in the idyllic Austrian town, putting tires to dirt on a specially designed XC course, which will see racing on Friday and Sunday, while the Downhill aces will navigate the Speedster, including the tricky Vali’s Hölle section.
Race Schedule:
Friday, 10 June:
Cross-Country Short Track (XCC) Women Elite – 17:30 CEST (Live on Red Bull TV)
Cross-Country Short Track (XCC) Men Elite – 18:15 CEST (Live on Red Bull TV)
Saturday, 11 June:
Downhill (DHI) Men Juniors – 09:45 CEST
Downhill (DHI) Women Juniors – 10:30 CEST
Downhill (DHI) Women Elite – 12:30 CEST (Live on Red Bull TV)
Downhill (DHI) Men Elite – 13:30 CEST (Live on Red Bull TV)
Sunday, 12 June:
Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) Women U23 – 08:30 CEST
Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) Men U23 – 10:15 CEST
Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) Women Elite – 12:20 CEST (Live on Red Bull TV)
Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) Men Elite – 14:50 CEST (Live on Red Bull TV)
“Not many athletes can say that they get to race in front of their own home, so it is really special to me to race here, on the trail where I grew up, so to say. I used to watch my idols race there and now I’m right in the middle of the action. Of course, I have a score to settle with the track, as the last two times I raced there, things didn’t go my way. I know I have what it takes to win on that track, but there are always so many things that influence a race run. Third time’s the charm, right?” – 2021 World Cup Overall winner Vali Höll.
Apart from the World Cup action, there is plenty more in store for visitors. The Expo Area will feature the cream of the crop of the bike world and the Team Area is always a hot ticket item, offering the 20.000 mountain bike fans that are expected a look behind the scenes of a World Cup stop, giving them a look in the pits and offering the chance to look over the shoulder of their favorite athletes as they prepare to give it their all on the track. A packed schedule of side events guarantees fun and suspense throughout the entire weekend. Both areas are open to the public and fans can visit from 12:00 – 20:00 on Friday, 10:00 – 20:00 on Saturday and 09:30 – 17:00 on Sunday.
Tickets are available online and as previous years have shown, it pays to be fast.
For more information related to the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountainbike World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang can be found on www.mtb-weltcup.at.
For all those who cannot be present live at the double World Cup, there is the possibility to follow the final races on Red Bull TV.
