Trummer writes Austrian mountain bike history!

Pure drama on the final day of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz in Saalfelden Leogang. Styrian David Trummer wrote Austrian mountain bike history with silver in the final elite men's downhill world championship race.
Everything different than expected! The final day of competition at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz in Saalfelden Leogang was a real challenge for the downhillers today. Rain, snow and cold transformed the Speedster course into the most difficult downhill course in the world virtually overnight. Conditions that turned all expectations upside down and created new heroes. After the bitter withdrawal of favourite and local hero Vali Höll, who injured her ankle in the final training session in the morning, Styrian David Trummer won the first elite medal for Austria's downhillers at a world championship in a race that was hard to beat in terms of drama: ‘It will take me a few days to realise this. I had problems on the course all week and then the difficult conditions simply worked in my favour today,’ said Trummer. The surprise gold medallist, Britain's Reece Wilson, could hardly believe his victory: ‘I'm shocked’. Third place went to Remi Thirion (FRA).

 

In the morning, junior Sophie Gutöhrle secured another Austrian medal at these world championships. The Upper Austrian showed her great potential with silver in the downhill, sandwiched between the two Frenchwomen, Lauryne Chappaz and Leona Pierrini.

And there was also a surprise victory in the elite women's race! Camille Balanche secured the first Downhill World Championship gold for Switzerland and the first rainbow jersey for the Swiss at these World Championships. Former world champion Myriam Nicole (FRA) came second, ahead of Monika Hrastnik from Slovenia.

 

Successful World Championships are an investment in the future
 
13 medal decisions, three disciplines and three years of preparation, most recently under the most difficult conditions: The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz in Saalfelden Leogang came to an end today with the downhill decisions. There was praise for the organisers from all sides: UCI, media representatives, officials, politicians and, above all, the athletes themselves. 
 
The World Championships took place under the strictest safety regulations, and after postponing the dates from the beginning of September to October, the Cross Country World Championships were also taken over from Albstadt at short notice and a cross country course was then realised within a few weeks. A comprehensive Covid-19 prevention concept was developed for around 700 athletes and their coaches from 48 nations. ‘It's been a very long road to get here. I'm very proud of the team. We can look back with satisfaction on a successful World Championships,’ said World Championships organiser Marco Pointner.

 

‘These World Championships were an organisational masterpiece. The Saalfelden Leogang team put on a great sporting event and the absolute world class of mountain biking will remember this impressive event for a long time to come,’ says ÖRV President Harald J. Mayer. For Salzburg's sports councillor Stefan Schnöll, it is unique to be able to organise a World Championships under the given circumstances. ‘Everyone can imagine how difficult it is to organise such major events now. Leogang has proven that this is possible with professional organisation,’ says Schnöll.
 
Even though the World Championships had to take place without spectators due to official regulations, 37 TV and streaming providers from 20 countries, including NBC, BBC, SRF, Eurosport, Rai, ZDF, ORF and Fox Sports, ensured the international appeal of the races thanks to host broadcaster Red Bull TV.

 

‘For us, organising this World Cup was also an investment in the future. It is already clear that we will even be able to organise a double World Cup next year,’ says Pointner. The bike destination has been a successful venue for the Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup for a decade. Next year, there will be a double World Cup (cross country and downhill) in Saalfelden Leogang for the first time from 11 to 13 June.