Downhill and slopestyle world elite approaching Saalfelden Leogang

Saalfelden Leogang is getting ready for the world's best downhillers, who will be stopping off in the Pinzgau bike metropolis as part of the Out of Bounds Festival from June 8th to 11th. After a course inspection on Thursday, the famous Leogang World Championship "Speedster" course will be put to the test at race speed for the first time in Friday training.

Before the downhillers head to the third World Cup stop in Leogang, the classic race in Fort William, Scotland, was on the agenda last weekend - a race that was hard to beat in terms of excitement, in which South African Greg Minnaar once again wrote his name in the record books: World Cup win number 20, the third in a row in Fort William and one in the most difficult conditions - in pouring rain and on the new 29-inch wheels, which many downhillers have been using since this season. Now Minnaar returns to Leogang and one of his favorite courses, where he was crowned world champion in 2012. Tracey Hannah secured victory in the women's race in the absence of the great Rachel Atherton. Atherton dislocated her shoulder in a fall during the last training run and had to miss the final in Fort William. However, there is a good chance that the double winner from Leogang will be able to start again in Leogang this weekend. After all, it is the track where she made history last year: Her tenth win in a row, something no other woman in the sport had managed before her.

 Austria's downhill specialists hope for home advantage
 
Austria's elite men travel to their home World Cup with plenty of room for improvement. David Trummer, who achieved his best ever World Cup result last year in Fort William with 17th place, did not make it to the finish in Scotland this year, as he did at the first World Cup in Lourdes, due to technical problems: "Two races, twice without a result, that's frustrating. I hope that things will now pick up again in Leogang," says Trummer. Markus Pekoll, who had started strongly at the World Cup in Lourdes with 12th place, was also unable to completely shake off his Scotland trauma: "After a puncture in training and a flat tire in qualifying, I'm still happy with 26th place in the end. Now I hope that as many fans as possible will come to Leogang to cheer us on," explained the Styrian. Junior Moritz Ribarich was able to shine once again from the red-white-red perspective. After finishing fourth at the opening World Cup in Lourdes, he more than impressed with sixth place in Fort William.

1A supporting program
 
Leogang is the only place where the world's downhill elite meet during the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup and the stars of the slopestyle scene at the FMB World Tour Gold Event 26TRIX on the same weekend. From Thursday (June 8) to Sunday (June 11), the Out of Bounds Festival at Bikepark Leogang offers exciting decisions for both the downhillers and the dirt jumpers, who will choose their winners as part of the 26TRIX. There are also plenty of highlights away from the sport: In addition to spectacular bike action, the festival also offers a sensational supporting program for spectators. The women's final on Sunday, for example, will be heralded by a show by trials world champion Tom Öhler, while the Flying Bulls will kick off the final show-down for the men's downhill riders. Spectators also have the opportunity to put their skills to the test, whether in the Bunny Hop Contest (Thursday) or the Pump Track Contest (Friday). The Kids Pump Track Challenge awaits the kids on Saturday.

Premiere in Leogang: Live broadcast in German for the first time
 
A special highlight for 2017: In addition to the English-language stream, Red Bull TV will also be offering the entire race action from Leogang with German commentary for the first time. None other than Austrian sports commentator Christopher Ryan will be making his comeback after several years and will guide viewers through the final on Sunday together with co-commentator, bike pro Tibor Simai.
For the fifth time, Red Bull TV will ensure that viewers at home are in the front row at the UCI Downhill World Cup in Leogang. No less than 20 kilometers of cable, 17 cameras on the course and a rope camera at the finish will ensure that fans all over the world are provided with action-packed images and fascinating super slo-mo from Leogang. An innovative start camera and new advanced graphics, including detailed track analysis and head-to-head comparisons of riders in different sections of the course, make the downhill experience more immersive than ever before. Field reporters at the start and finish will bring the stars of the sport in front of the camera for exclusive interviews, while bonus content with insights into the athletes' everyday lives round off the overall experience.