New trails like “Vali’s Hölle” provide fresh momentum. On May 8, the time will come to open this year’s bike season in Pinzgau. Season highlights include both, the hosting of the first double World Cup from June 11-13, and the BIKE Festival, which will take place in Saalfelden Leogang from September 10-12.
The Epic Bikepark Leogang has its 20th birthday this year and it’s set to impress with many highlights. There is a new Downhill track, named after Downhill high-flyer Vali Höll; in order to reach this line, turn left into the forest, right before the 100% wallride on the Speedster and Flying Gangster. "Vali's Hölle" already provided excitement and variety at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships last October.
Starting this year, all riders can get a taste of the technically challenging course to get a better feel for the skill level of the pros. Kornel Grundner, Managing Director of the Leoganger Bergbahnen, which operate all gondolas in the area: "We are pleased to celebrate the launch of our 20th season this year. Our passion for mountain biking has always been unbroken and we proved last summer that the sport is also possible and save in difficult times."
On the Hot Shots line fired by GoPro - which was rebuilt in summer 2020 - riders are going to experience true A-line feelings. This season, the jump line starts directly at the mountain station. It’s now about 125 meters longer with even more airtime than before. But be careful, the challenging track is not suitable for beginners!
Visitors can also look forward to a new natural trail. The “Knappentrail”, which starts and ends at the same place as the “Schwarzleo-trail”, winds its own way down the slope and promises flowy lines.
The GoPro Bag jump, which has been an important part of the Epic Bikepark Leogang since 2011, also received an upgrade. The new landing bag is 15 meters long and ensures even more fun and safety thanks to the adjusted landing angle. This is the spot to work on your skills and optimize your riding technique.
With plenty of innovations along the way, the bike park is ready to kick off the season. And that’s not all: for the first time, a double World Cup in the disciplines Cross-Country and Downhill will be held in Pinzgau from June 11-13, 2021. Whether and how many spectators will be able to follow the season highlight on site, depends on the development of the pandemic. However, it’s certain that the Saalfelden Leogang region is well-prepared with elaborate hygiene measures. The final races of the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be shown live on Red Bull TV and ORF.
Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik:
"For the 20th birthday, we want to give our bike park visitors and of course ourselves the one or the other small gift. With new natural trails and tracks, such as the Knappentrail, "Vali's Hölle" or for example the reworked Airbag landing, there should be something new to explore for every kind of rider. We are also looking forward to the upcoming double World Cup, which takes place in Pinzgau for the first time in that form.”
Finally, from September 10-12, the BIKE Festival will take place in Salzburger Land. The visitors of the festival can participate in competitions and get insights into innovations of various exhibitors and different workshops to improve their own skills at the bike fair.
