Three series finals offered the broad range of disciplines in bike sport: As part of the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series, Gerd Skant and Birgit Braumann were crowned Austrian Enduro champions. In Cross Country, Tyrolean Karl Markt secured overall victory in the Mountain Bike League Austria. David Trummer was the best Austrian in the downhill category, finishing third overall in the iXS European Downhill Cup. The big showdown of the iXS European Downhill Cup - the highest race series after the World Cup - traditionally took place as part of the Biketember Festival in Saalfelden Leogang and thanks to Styrian David Trummer, an Austrian was also involved in the battle for the overall standings. Less than a second ultimately decided a podium finish for the Styrian in the last race of the season in Sunday's super final. But even if it wasn't quite enough for the podium in Leogang, Trummer was able to defend his third place in the overall standings: "Of course that one second annoys me. I certainly lost a lot of time in the upper, very muddy section, but everyone fought and I achieved my goal for the season, third place in the overall standings. I'm happy with that," explained Trummer. The day's and overall victory went to Poland's Slawomir Lukasik, who dominated the elite men's field with a lead of over five seconds. Veronika Widmann from South Tyrol was the woman of the moment in the women's event: "I've already achieved a great result in Leogang this year with an eighth place in the World Cup, and the fact that I was able to secure the day's and overall victory here today simply couldn't be better." There was an Austrian overall victory in the youth class: despite crashing in the final run, the young Saalbacher Valentina Höll secured the overall title in the "Pro Youth" class, once again underlining her outstanding talent. Austrian enduro championships for the first time The Biketember Festival 2016 was also good for a premiere: the Austrian Enduro Championship titles were awarded for the first time. The first national champion in this young discipline was Gerd Skant from Graz: "I got into enduro last year through BMX riding and had a good season this year, which was crowned with today's championship title," said Skant. Vienna's Birgit Braumann was the best rider in the women's category, completing the lap known as the "Big-5-Challenge" with 40 kilometers (12.6 of which on rated stages) and around 3,500 meters of elevation gain. She can now also call herself the national champion. Markt sprinted to overall victory at the Cross Country in Saalfelden At the Cross Country European Cup in Saalfelden, Tyrolean Karl Markt fought a real mud battle in the showdown for overall victory in the Mountain Bike League Austria - a nail-biting final against rival Martin Loo (Estonia), with the happier outcome for the national champion: "I knew that if I wanted to secure overall victory in the Mountain Bike League Austria, I had to stay ahead of Martin. But I had to give it my all in the final sprint. It was a really tough race. I fought from the first to the last meter," explained a completely exhausted Markt at the finish: "For me, the title is the perfect end to a brilliant season," said Markt. The same can be said of his compatriot Max Foidl, who also secured overall victory in his age group in the Austrian Mountain Bike League with his second Saalfelden victory in the U23 category. While the men's race was extremely close, the strong Ukrainian World Cup rider Yana Belomoina celebrated a commanding victory in the elite women's race with a lead of over four minutes ahead of the Czech Jitka Skarnitzlova and the German Lena Putz. Big performance for the very youngest The next generation of bikers also made a big appearance on Sunday as part of the Biketember Festival. At the SCOTT Junior Trophy at the Ritzensee in Saalfelden, 85 children and youngsters between the ages of three and 16 proved that they are in no way inferior to their role models when it comes to action on the varied circuit. The Biketember Festival opens the autumn season for mountain bikers in Saalfelden Leogang and is also the crowning glory of a summer of events that began with the "Out of Bounds" festival in June, explains Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik: "Whether young or old, amateur or professional, the diversity is what makes the Biketember Festival so special. The Biketember Festival heralds the start of the fall season. The Bikepark Leogang is still open for downhillers until mid-October."
Under the name "Biketember", the region will be a playground for enduro, downhill and cross-country riders who want to prove themselves in the individual disciplines on an international stage from September 16 to 18. But it's not just the sporting highlights that await spectators with a packed timetable, "Biketember" is also packed with side events. Just in time for the start of fall, the Saalfelden Leogang bike region is entering the home stretch of the current contest season with the "Biketember Festival". From 16 to 18 September, the broad range of mountain biking disciplines will be on the calendar with the iXS European Downhill Cup (Leogang), the final of the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series (Leogang - Saalbach Hinterglemm), the Cross Country European Cup XCO C1 race and the Scott Junior Trophy (both in Saalfelden), putting the Pinzgau at the center of the scene once again. Top field of starters pre-programmed For the third time now, "Biketember" is attracting riders from all over Europe to the Salzburg biking scene. A look at last year's list of results gives a foretaste of how strong the field will be this year. In 2015, for example, Maja Wloszczowska (POL), a recent Olympic silver medalist in cross country, did the honors at "Biketember" - victory included. In addition, 15-time German downhill champion Marcus Klausmann took the title at the final of the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series in the previous year's edition. The who's who of downhill riders will also be represented in Leogang, as many elite riders will be competing for important points in the iXS overall standings at the last of six races in the iXS European Downhill Cup after the World Championships in Val di Sole (August 29 to September 11). Decisions in four race series The starting signal for the first showdown of the elite at "Biketember" will be given on Saturday, September 17, at the Cross Country European Cup race (XCO C1). From 11 a.m., the riders will be challenged on the 2012 World Championship course in Saalfelden. On Sunday, it's the turn of the downhillers and enduro riders, with the season finale of the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series taking place in Saalfelden Leogang and Saalbach Hinterglemm at 8 am, followed by the iXS European Downhill Cup in the Bikepark Leogang from 12.30 pm, where the downhill specialists will take on the "Speedster" course. Young bikers will also be in the spotlight on this day. At 10 a.m., the Scott Junior Trophy will be all about showing off their stamina and, above all, the fun of the sport. Packed supporting program But it's not just the sporting highlights that will be causing a stir at the "Biketember Festival", there are also various side events away from the race tracks where you can join in the excitement and take part yourself. For example, the LINES Bike Pulling and the Dual Race, a large expo area, the LINES Party on Friday and the already legendary Ö3 Disco with LUKE K on Saturday. This will be a fitting start to what is probably the most beautiful season for bikers, the golden fall.
The "Biketember Festival" is calling for the third time and offers biking in all its facets. Whether downhill, enduro or cross country - the full spectrum awaits at the bike event in Pinzgau. So the bike summer can easily go into overtime. The local crème de la crème of cross-country riders, the best enduro riders, many well-known names from the downhill scene and numerous die-hard fans: these are the guaranteed ingredients that will make the "Biketember Festival" a spectacle once again this year. Riders from all over Europe will be competing for points in the various race series in Saalfelden Leogang from September 16 to 18, proving that mountain biking is popular for good reason. Whether at the final of the iXS European Downhill Cup, the showdown of the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series, the Cross Country European Cup race (XCO C1) or the Scott Junior Trophy - Saalfelden Leogang will once again be the focus of the scene with its second major bike festival, alongside the Out of Bounds weekend in June. One festival, three days, four race series The festival weekend opens on Saturday, September 17, with the European Cross Country Cup race (XCO C1). From 11 a.m., the riders will show why they are among the best in their field on the challenging course in the Bürgerau district of Saalfelden. On Sunday, the downhillers and enduro riders will do the same as the cross-country riders. From 8 a.m., the enduro riders will be pedalling to show off their skills at the season finale of the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series. This year marks the third time that the race series has been held in Saalfelden Leogang and Saalbach Hinterglemm. This year's special: For the first time, the Enduro race will be held as the Austrian Championship. While the enduro riders compete in the morning, the iXS European Downhill Cup in the Bikepark Leogang will kick off at 12.30 pm for the downhill specialists. For the last time this year, riders will be competing for important points in the overall standings on the "Speedster" World Cup downhill course. On this day, the Biketember Festival will also be putting the spotlight on up-and-coming cyclists. From 10 a.m. on Sunday, young bikers between the ages of three and 16 will be demonstrating their stamina, fighting spirit, technical skills and enjoyment of the sport at the Scott Junior Trophy. Supporting program - and not in short supply In addition to concentrated mountain bike action, various side events at the "Biketember Festival" also provide plenty to talk about away from the race tracks. For example, you can take part in the LINES Bike Pulling on Friday or the Dual Race on Saturday. A large expo area, the LINES Party on Friday or the already legendary Ö3 Disco with LUKE K on Saturday are further excerpts from the extensive festival program.
With the European Cross Country Cup race and the finals of the enduro and downhill races, spectators and athletes are offered a wide range of bike sports. The local rookies are also eagerly awaiting the international showdown. Cross-country riders from five nations will open the Biketember Festival on Saturday, September 17 in the Bürgerau district of Saalfelden, including Austria's elite, led by national champion Karl Markt and teammate Gregor Raggl. For Markt, the final of the MTB Liga Austria in Saalfelden is about the overall series victory and thus, after his victory at the Austrian championships, the next prestigious title in the domestic cross country scene. The same applies to last year's young U23 winner, Max Foidl from Tiroler Biketeam Kirchberg, who had a strong World Cup season this year with his first top ten finish in the U23 and is eagerly awaiting his home race: "I rode my first World Championships in Saalfelden as a junior in 2012, and those were impressions and experiences that I will never forget. The course brings back memories and I immediately feel at home on it every time - a good mix of natural trails and man-made elements." The Austrians also face strong competition in Saalfelden from two Australian World Cup athletes, Daniel McConnel and Rebecca Henderson. Young local heroine rocks iXS Downhill Youth With a 250-point lead, a young local heroine comes to the grand finale of the iXS European Downhill Cup in Leogang. The overall victory in the "Pro Youth" class can no longer be taken from Saalbach's Valentina Höll. The fact that she can crown this with a run in Leogang is something special for the 14-year-old, who is regarded as the biggest young talent on the scene and was recently crowned "Rookie World Champion" for the second time: "Leogang rocks. For the first time in my life, I'm going through the World Cup start gate, which is good training but above all top motivation," says the Saalbach native, who is looking forward to showing why there will be a lot more to hear from the likeable rider in the future at her home race on Saturday. For the third time, the enduro series finale will also take place in Saalbach Hinterglemm and Leogang as part of the Biketember Festival and will be held as the Austrian Championships for the first time this year. A correspondingly high-caliber field of starters can therefore also be expected in this third bike discipline of the Biketembers. Junior race at Lake Ritzensee The very youngest are also part of the Biketember weekend to perhaps one day follow a similar path to the young up-and-coming aces Valentina Höll or Max Foidl: At the Scott Junior Trophy on Sunday, the kids will show what they've already got at the Ritzensee in Saalfelden from 10 am. Between the competitions, numerous side events to take part in, a large EXPO area and the legendary Ö3 disco with LUKE K provide plenty of variety.
The “Biketember Festival” will take place from September 16th to 18th and offers many more MTB activities for all downhillers, enduro riders and cross-country specialists. Bike rookies will also be able to join the fun. Mountain bike enthusiasts from all over Europe will be travelling to Saalfelden Leogang for the third edition of the “Biketember Fesitival”. The athletes will be showing off their skills, battling for points and making the crowd go insane during the finals of the iXS European Downhill Cup, Specialized-SRAM Enduro-Series, the Cross Country Europacup (XCO C1) and the Scott Junior Trophy. So, there will be a lot more action to look forward to in the Austrian Alps this September. Everything will be getting serious on Saturday, September 17th, when the XCO athletes battle it out during the Cross Country Europacup (XCO C1). After the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in 2012, this will be the third time a cross-country event will take place in Saalfelden Leogang. Who will be able to secure the win on the demanding course? The crack of the starting pistol will send the contenders on their way at 11am. The mountain bike action continues on Sunday, September 18th, with the downhill and enduro events. The enduro athletes are the early birds and take off at 8am to ride for glory on the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series. The athletes will have to conquer a demanding course with speedy downhill and technical sections. It will put the riders’ skills and endurance to the test. And the fans will have the great opportunity to watch all the enduro action around the course. The final stage of the series will be taking place in Saalfelden Leogang and Saalbach Hinterglemm for the third time and will also determine who will become the Austrian Champion. It will be all about downhill speed and technical finesse during the iXS European Downhill Cup. The first rider will be shooting out of the start gate in Bikepark Leogang at 12.30pm. The race down the World Cup course “Speedster” is the last opportunity for all athletes to collect vital points for the season ranking. The iXS European Downhill Cup is an international series with upcoming stars and world-class licenced riders participating. In addition, the “Biketember Festival” has plenty of action for kids to join the event as well. The rookies will hit the track for the Scott Junior Trophy on Sunday from 10am. They can show their riding skills on a course near the Ritzensee in Saalfelden. All children and teenagers from 3 to 16 years of age can gain experience and win great prizes. After the prize giving at 12pm, the families still have plenty of time to head over to Bikepark Leogang and cheer on the downhill and enduro athletes. The festival also offers plenty of side events to enjoy, a big EXPO Area and the legendary Ö3 disco will satisfy all party craving guests thanks to LUKE K.
The fourth edition takes mountain bikers and mountain runners over 5.5 kilometres and 700 metres in altitude up Saalfelden's local mountain. Even if the stopwatch is of course running for the participants of the Biberg Auffiradler, the Olympic idea also counts over the 5.5 km and 700 metres in altitude - taking part is everything! After all, the different competition categories for youth, women and men, as well as the extra classification for e-bikers, guarantee many beaming winners' faces and proud athletes once again this year. The start of the Biberg Auffiradler takes place on Saturday, 16 July at 5.00 pm, directly after the Biberg mountain run (3.30 pm) at the valley station of the Saalfelden summer toboggan run. The route up to the Berggasthof Biberg has a steep incline of up to 25% and covers 700 metres in altitude. Those who find this too strenuous using pure muscle power can also take advantage of the 350 to 500 watt support of a standard e-bike and take part in the separate individual e-bike classification. At the finish line, it's about more than just the coveted Biberg-Hirsch trophy - this year too, a raffle with attractive prizes awaits all starters.
Oops, they did it again! There is just no stopping Rachel Atherton or Aaron Gwin! As last year both record breakers fought for every hundredth of a second at the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup in Leogang and awarded the crowd with yet another race for the history books. Despite the fact that her run was not perfect, Atherton continued her winning streak and took home the world cup win for the tenth time in a row. Her fourth success of the season was the record setter, after having pulled along side with Anne-Caroline Chausson in Fort William a week ago with her ninth consecutive win. Aaron Gwin played catch-up for the most part of his run, but stormed over the finish line, securing himself yet another win in Leogang and showing the fans how a true “Gwinner” sends it. The downhill thriller closes a great weekend of MTB-action at the Out of Bounds Festival, leaving stoked spectators behind. Slippery conditions, pressure and nervousness? No worries. Rachel Atherton proved once again that she in unstoppable. Even though her run was not immaculate the Brit sped over the 3.1 kilometre / 1.9 miles long “Speedster” track through Bikepark Leogang, distancing herself from the competition with a 5.370 second cushion. For the tenth consecutive time Atherton climbed to the very top of the podium – a new world record. Even Rachel had difficulties to comprehend, what she had achieved after the race: “It’s pretty crazy. I didn’t really think about it, but was so nervous this morning. To win ten in a row is just crazy. Every race I think, it may be the last one and that I can hopefully keep it going. My run was pretty messy really. I didn’t want to crash and I kept making mistakes. I got a bit wild, putting my foot out. I think, you have to ride so on the edge, with the girls being as good as they are. I’m just happy and tired now.” Fellow Brit Tahnee Seagrave, who missed Fort William due to injury and had not yet fully recovered, secured second place with a great performance. Miranda Miller from Canada completed the podium. 84 starters in the Men Elite had absolutely perfect conditions. The muddy section had nearly dried up, the fans streamed to the course and the atmosphere was electric. At first the Brits took firm hold of the top of the ranking, until Troy Brosnan from Australia stunned the crowd and competition with an unbelievable run. Greg Williamson (GBR) had to leave from the hot seat, in which the Australian made himself comfortable. Greg Minnaar (SZA) and Danny Hart (GBR) both came close to toppling him, but small mistakes left Brosnan smiling in first place with his hopes for the title rising by the second. The suspense was palpable and of course everyone still had Aaron Gwin (USA) in the back of their minds. No one expected a 20-year-old to push the American from the throne. But first a young Frenchman shook up the standings. Highly concentrated and ambitious Loris Vergier charged over the “Speedster” and took over the top spot. “I’m so proud. The track was perfect and the condition was great. I totally enjoyed riding here.“ There was only one man, who could separate the Junior World Champion from 2014 from his first title in Men Elite: Aaron Gwin. Without a tyre, without a chain – what could be expected to happen this year? But still the American was able to thrill the fans once again. After the first split, Gwin was well behind. The spectators were preparing themselves to celebrate the young Frenchman. The “Gwinner” however found his stride on his way to the “Roots of Asitz”. Thousands of fans in the finishing area stared in awe at the big screen, whilst the 28-year-old started to eat up Vergiers lead. The climax was reached, when Aaron Gwin hit the third split, which put him 0.531 seconds in front. The crowd went crazy. Gwin was not looking back and stunned everyone with a 3.131 second lead as he crossed the finish line. “I knew I was loosing a little time at the top, because I hit a few things kind of weird. I wasn’t really feeling it. By the time I got out of that last root section, I knew the tech stuff was over and I was a little bit frustrated. I was like ‘dude, you need to get going and hammer down‘. I just tried to pin it at the end. I made one little mistake and came unclipped for a while, but I luckily got back in.“ Four action-packed days of biking have come to an end with the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup. The weather, the races, the contests and side events made the Out of Bounds Festival better than ever. Although there was no 26TRIX final due to rain, there was no harming the fantastic atmosphere. 16,000 spectators not only enjoyed the main events, but also recreational program such as pump track and bunny hop contest, the trial show with Tom Öhler and the Red Bull Skydive Team show. The Out of Bounds Festival will be back from June 8th to 11th 2017.
Bikepark Leogang is further developing the ‘Rider’s Playground’ for rookies and slightly more experienced riders and therefore closing the gap between the easy training trails at the bottom station and the more sophisticated tracks in the park itself. “This concept has already proven its value in the winter season und will also make bike enthusiasts happy as well. In order to make this possible the Riederfeldlift, which is usually closed during the summer, has been fitted with additional t-bars, so it can also be used by mountain bikers in the summer”, explains Kornel Grundner, CEO of the Leoganger Bergbahnen. Thanks to the new anchor lift, riders will be able to transport their bike easily to where they will be able to discover the new, easy freeride trails. Similar to the winter season, this new opportunity makes it possible for beginners to strive towards more challenging exercises and improve their riding skills. From July 2nd, the training area offers a bigger variety for bike rookies big and small and consists of flat terrain including a pumptrack, a conveyor belt with trails for newbies and the new anchor lift, taking riders to more challenging tracks. No matter whether guests just want to spend the weekend and try the easy routes or systematically prepare themselves for the more difficult trails on the mountain Asitz, everyone will be able to find perfect riding and training conditions. Find more information on the ‘Rider’s Playground’ here: http://bike.saalfelden-leogang.com/de/bikeparkleogang/beginner-bikeparks/riders-playground The ‘Rider’s Playground’ in Bikepark Leogang is the world’s biggest bike park for beginners. Numerous lines with rollers, doubles, tables, wallrides and berms as well as a battery of drops, a freeride course and a pumptrack belong to the highlights. As soon as riders have grasped the fundamentals they can challenge themselves on the more sophisticated trails such as the new flow-trail “HOT SHOTS – fired by GoPro”, which is available to beginners as well as to more experienced riders. Alternatively they can put their skills to the test on the track “Hang Man II”, which takes them from middle station on the east side to the station in the valley and guarantees lots of two-wheeled fun. An overview of all the trails in the bike park can be found here: http://bike.saalfelden-leogang.com/de/bikeparkleogang/strecken To make your biking holiday absolutely perfect, special bike hotels such as Salzburger Hof, Rupertus, Bacher, Riederalm, Ritzenhof, Puradies, Pension Haus Tirol and competent bike shops such as Sport Mitterer or Sport 2000 Simon are at your service: www.saalfelden-leogang.com/de/aktivitaeten/sommer/biken/bike-unterkuenfte/
Austria's downhill aces had to pay tribute to the difficult conditions, with only Manuel Gruber (23rd) and Markus Pekoll (26th) qualifying for tomorrow's final of the top 80. Today's qualification in Saalfelden Leogang turned into the expected mud battle. The "Speedster" World Cup course was slippery, muddy and above all one thing: a technical challenge for all skiers. In both the women's and men's races, the difficult conditions were a case for the current best in the World Cup. In recent years, US World Cup leader Aaron Gwin caused a sensation after riding with a flat tyre (2014) and without a chain (2015), but today he impressed with the most uncompromising line, especially in the lower section of the Leogang Speedster course. Even though the favourite came out on top, tomorrow's show down in Leogang will be no walk in the park for the American: just 4.2 seconds separated the top five in today's qualifying. Frenchman Loris Vergier finished second ahead of Briton Michael Jones. Also in contention for tomorrow's final are Britain's Danny Hart in fourth place and the 2012 Leogang World Champion and winner of Fort William, Greg Minnaar, in fifth. Pekoll and Gruber in the final The Austrians struggled with the wet conditions today, with only two Austrian riders qualifying for the final of the top 80. The fastest Austrian in qualifying was Styrian Manuel Gruber in 23rd place: "It was really difficult today and there were a lot of crashes. That's why I slowed down a lot, but there were still two or three situations where I almost crashed. You can really talk about a mud battle today, but I'm satisfied that I was able to qualify." After yesterday's training session went anything but to plan for compatriot Markus Pekoll, the Schladming native was satisfied with his qualifying run in 26th place: "The run certainly wasn't perfect, but it was okay. There were some pretty good moments, which is important for the final." David Trummer had bad luck, crashing right at the start of the run and ruining his chances of qualifying with a damaged rear derailleur and brakes. In contrast to the tight time gaps in the men's race, Rachel Atherton dominated today's women's qualification with a lead of over eight seconds. She could make history tomorrow with win number 10 in a row: "It was very difficult today because of the rain, but the course is brilliant, really slushy, you have to react incredibly quickly. I'm not thinking about the record. I don't want to put any pressure on myself, but of course it would be incredibly cool to achieve something that no lady has managed before me," explained Atherton. Second and third place in qualifying went to Atherton's compatriots Tahnee Seagrave and Manon Carpenter. FMB Gold Event 26TRIX is turning into a talent factory As the finals on Saturday literally fell through, the results from qualifying count for the dirt jumpers at the 26TRIX. Italian Diego Caverzasi made his international breakthrough with his victory. He was followed by last year's winner Antoine Bizet from France and his compatriot Mehdi Gani in second and third place. Best Trick winner was the German Nico Scholze. Exciting show down tomorrow from 12.00 noon Tomorrow, Sunday, the big final spectacle of the downhillers will take place from 12.00 noon. The final of the best 80 men and 20 women, which is once again expected to attract around 10,000 spectators, will be heralded by shows from trial world champion Tom Öhler and the Red Bull Skydive Team. The best spectator spots are the finish area and the hot spot on the course, where fans won't miss a thing thanks to the video wall and live moderation. During the day, the team and expo area will once again offer lots of interesting and interesting facts for young and old. Competitions, autograph sessions, exclusive glimpses behind the scenes of mountain biking and the very special bike flair make every visit to the Out of Bounds Festival an experience. For all those who can't be there live tomorrow, the race will also be broadcast live on RedBull TV
The FMB Gold Event 26TRIX is proving to become a true talent factory. Well-known pros and many newcomers signed up for the pre-qualification round, making it the biggest pre-qualification ever. Amongst the participants were also BMX legend Drew Bezanson and the only female competitor Gemma Corbera, who took part in their first big FMB contest. Due to steady rainfall on Saturday, the qualification runs stood as the final results. The Italian Diego Caverzasi sent a huge run and celebrated his breakthrough on an international stage. He was followed by the Frenchmen Antoine Bizet and Mehdi Gani, who completed the podium. The GoPro Best Trick winner was Nico Scholze from Germany. Rain – Sun – Rain: Whilst the weather kept the organizers on their feet, the athletes left the crowd open-mouthed in awe. Both the pre-qualification on Thursday and the final on Saturday had to be cancelled due to steady rainfall, making it impossible to ride. But there was no reason to get upset. The weather god had mercy on Friday and awarded the riders and crowd with perfect weather conditions. Due to the postponement of the pre-qualifying on Thursday, there was a lot going on: the pre-qualifiers were allowed to drop into the course at long last and split up into two heats; they thrilled the fans with an unbelievably high trick level. Out of 42 competitors 12 progressed to the qualifying round, taking place in the afternoon. The spotlight was particularly focused on one very young talent: the 16-year-old Emil Johansson from Sweden sent very clean runs and great tick combinations, stunning the crowd. With the weather forecast not looking good for the weekend, one had the feeling that newcomers wanted to go “all in” in the qualification. The 22-year-old Diego Caverzasi catapulted himself into the top three with his first run of the day and improved his score on his second attempt, which put him in pole position ahead of Antoine Bizet and Mehdi Gani. The ingredients for his winning run were: frontflip-barspin, 360 barspin to x-up, backflip-barspin-to-whip, double whip, one-foot-tabletop and backflip-cliffhanger. Whilst other established riders took it easy, thinking they had the final still ahead of them, Emil Johansson went full-throttle and positioned himself in the top 5 just in front of Thomas Genon (87.33 vs. 87.00). After a sensational day of slopestyle action on Friday, the weather on Saturday disappointed. The steady rain and the bad weather forecast for Sunday forced the decision makers to cancel the final, and to take the outcome from the qualification round as the final result. This sealed the first FMB World Tour win in Diego Caverzasi’s career: “I was thinking about my runs early, because I had an idea, that qualification may be the final. The weather forecast didn’t look good, so I decided to do my best run and include a backflip-cliffhanger – a new trick for me.” Emil’s sensational fifth place, secured him one of the FMB Wildcards to the FMB Diamond Event “Swatch Prime Line at MASH”. The second wildcard went to Nico Scholze, who also won the GoPro Best Trick contest with a massive backflip tsunami. The Out of Bounds Festival is not over yet though! There is still one more highlight on the cards: the best downhill pros in the world will be sending it on the new course in Bikepark Leogang during the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. The finals start on Sunday at 12 o’clock, when the Juniors open a day of finals and will be battling with rock gardens and root sections. If you cannot be there to see all the action, Red Bull TV is streaming the contest LIVE from 2.30 pm CEST / 5.00 am PDT: www.redbull.tv/live/AP-1KR6H13P11W11/uci-mountain-bike-world-cup
