To the delight of the organizers, numerous visitors took part in the event. The Kulturverein FRERAUM and the Leoganger Bergbahnen want to promote grown and new culture on site and offer artists the opportunity to develop. This year, the art trail at the Asitz was decorated with works by Adriana Franza, who conveys in her works the connection with her native Sicily. "Journey by Adriana Franza" The 2022 Kunstwanderweg was designed by Adriana Franza, a native Sicilian who lives in Vienna and pursues her artistic activity there. The connection with her native Sicily is evident in her works. The ancient culture, architecture and beauty of Sicily’s nature play an important role in her pictures. These elements can be seen again and again. Below the Asitzbahn mountain station starts the beautiful forest trail via the "Stille Wasser am Asitz" to Sinner Park at the Asitzbahn Mittelstation. Every 30 to 40 meters there are works of art by this year's exhibitor, Adriana Franza, which invite you to take a short break and look at it. The artworks are on display from 26.06.2022 to 16.10.2022.
With a bit of luck, hidden QR codes on the lines and trails are the way to a unique grand prize: an Epic Bike Package filled with everything the biker’s heart desires – including a brand new SCOTT Gambler 920. The award ceremony will take place during the BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang from 16 to 18 September. After the successful #20epicyears treasure hunt last year, the lines and trails at Epic Bikepark Leogang are once again a direct route to a special sweepstakes. What's inside? A complete bike equipment to which all long-term partners of the Saalfelden Leogang region and the Epic Bikepark Leogang have contributed. What to do about it? Bike, bike and bike again at Epic Bikepark Leogang. With five letters to the dream package A treasure map with an emoji puzzle points the way to the trails, where boards with a total of five QR codes and associated slogan letters await. If you follow the clues, collect all the letters and put them together correctly at the end, you have the chance to win the jackpot. Simply enter the answer word online on the website of the Epic Bikepark Leogang, submit it and you're done. Those who pedal more often have a higher chance of winning The letters change every two weeks. So if you do your rounds in the Epic Bikepark Leogang more often, collect more solution words and send them online, you have a higher chance of dusting off the Epic Bike Package in the end. So, off and on the lines and trails and with a bit of luck on the way to the grand prize, which will be awarded at the BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang (16th to 18th September). Epic Bike Package: 1x Scott Gambler 920 1x Multicover Travel Set incl. World Traveller 125, Wash Bag, Snow Gear Roller and Mission Pro 28 by EVOC 2x Bike-Outfits from FOX (1x Women, 1x Men) 1x Knee Protectors and a Xult Downhill Helmet by IXS 1x Armega Goggle Anti Fog Clear Lens and Armega Forecast Film System - Full Kit of 100% 1x Bottle for Life Bundle by MUC-OFF 1x GoPro HERO 10 Black incl. SD Card, Chesty & Handlbar Mount by GOPRO 1x GRAVITA ALPACA X5 + ALPACA TOOL CARRIER Saddle and GRAVITA TENSOR Shoes by FIZIK 1x MAXXIS Assegai & Minion Tyres Set Win the EPIC BIKE PACKAGE (saalfelden-leogang.com)
24 hours over the Steinbergs to Saalfelden Leogang: That was the "Stoabergmarsch24" last weekend. In addition to a strenuous sporting experience, the participants were once again able to enter a unique mountain experience into their balance sheet. For the first time this year there was also a shortened version of 12 hours. This year's challenge "Stoabergmarsch24" started at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. A total of about 50 kilometers and almost 4700 meters of altitude were on the march plan in extreme heat. Accompanied by experienced mountain guides from Fun Connection, the route of the 70 participants from six nations led after the start in Weissbach near Lofer over the Vorderkaserklamm up to Geierkogel (1753m) and over the Tannkogel to Hoametzl, where dinner was waiting. In the dark we then went over the Griessner alpine pastures until dawn the last kilometers to the finish were tackled at the Asitz in Leogang. The night highlight of the hike was once again the solstice bonfires lit during the traditional fire burning on the peaks and slopes. New to this year’s edition was a shortened 12-hour hike, which took the participants from Weissbach near Lofer to the finish at the Gasthof Eisenne Hand in Fieberbrunn. A sporting border experience with a unique view For the eighth time, the classic of the long-distance hiking events took place in the Leoganger and Loferer Steinbergen between Salzburg and Tyrol. The 24-hour hike had everything: steep ascents, strenuous descents, climbing passages and long paths over alpine meadows. No question, basic condition, safety of foot and freedom from dizziness were required, but also the eye for the special mountain experience. Because the path was the goal. And it was filled with impressive views and an impressive natural backdrop.
On 26.06.2022 the 7th Regionality Fair will take place in Saalfelden. Between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. there is a wide selection of local products to browse, taste and buy, such as liqueurs, brandies, stone and wood crafts and decorative goods, natural herbal cosmetics, cheeses, bacon and sausages, organic natural furniture, wild herbs and much more. At 14:00 all visitors have the chance to listen to a lecture by Mag. Alexander Ohms on "Austria in Climate Change – from Measurement Data of the Present to the Scenario of the Future". The lecture illuminates the topic of climate forecasts and explores the question of how possible changes in the coming decades could affect Austria. If you know where the food comes from, it tastes twice as good. More and more restaurateurs and hoteliers offer regional products on their menus. To further strengthen the cooperation between farmers and tourists, Saalfelden Leogang Tourism GmbH launched the lighthouse project “Tourism and Agriculture” as part of the brand development process in 2011. Now, on 26 June 2022, the Regionality Fair under the title "Regional Products Before the Curtain" will take place in Congress Saalfelden for the 7th time. In Saalfelden Leogang, great emphasis is placed on quality rural products. At the regional trade fair, regional producers take the opportunity to present their products. Specialities such as bacon, bread, milk, eggs or brandy directly from the farms - food could not be more natural. Unique regional craftsmanship and great lectures round off this day perfectly in the sign of regionality! A special highlight will be the lecture "Austria in climate change – from measurement data of the present to the future scenario" by meteorologist at the Central Institute of Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) Mag. Alexander Ohms. The programme at a glance: 10.00 am: Start of the 7th Regionality Fair 14.00 o'clock: Lecture by Alexander Ohms ,,Austria in Climate Change – from Measurement Data of the Present to the Scenario of the Future” Full day: Wide selection of local products: brandy, liqueurs, tinctures, craft and decorative goods, natural cosmetics made of herbs, cheese, bacon and sausages, wild herbs and much more. Full-day: Musical supporting program by the “Blatzer Buam” All day: Show carving with the Schoatnhex Full day: Anton Sommerer shows how the Pinzgau fence is made Full-day: participation program for old & young at the stands Full-day: Fair restaurant run by local farmers from Saalfeld
Nach zweijähriger coronabedingter Pause steht am kommenden Wochenende im Grenzgebiet Salzburg/Tirol die achte Auflage der ganz speziellen Langstreckenwanderung auf dem Programm. Erstmals kann in diesem Jahr auch „nur“ zwölf Stunden gewandert werden. 24 Stunden lang die Bergwelt des Pinzgaus und des Tiroler Unterlands erwandern: Am 18. und 19. Juni geht der Stoabergmarsch24 in die achte Auflage. Die beliebte 24-Stunden-Wanderung feiert ihr Comeback nach der Coronapause und wird erstmals auch in Form eines 12-Stunden-Erlebnisses angeboten. Der Stoabergmarsch findet jährlich im Juni zur Sonnenwende statt und bietet jedes Jahr eine neue Streckenführung. 2669 Höhenmeter bergauf und 2128 Höhenmeter bergab stehen bei der langen Variante über die 48 Kilometer auf dem Programm. Gestartet wird in Weißbach bei Lofer. Von dort geht es, begleitet und betreut durch heimische Bergprofis, direkt ins Herz der Leoganger Steinberge. Saalfelden Leogang ist dieses Mal als Zielort Teil des Stoabergmarschs. Die 24 Stunden verlangen den Wanderern einiges ab, aber die Strapazen lohnen sich, weiß auch Markus Kogler, der verantwortliche Bergführer: „In die Nacht hinein begleiten uns die traditionellen Bergfeuer anlässlich der Sonnenwende und wenn man dann bei Sonnenaufgang die letzten Kilometer in Angriff nimmt, dann sind die Anstrengungen der vergangenen Stunden vergessen und man darf sich stolz einen Stoabergmarsch-Finisher nennen. Das ist immer wieder ein besonders emotionales Erlebnis für die Teilnehmer.“ Stoabergmarsch24 als Green Event Nachhaltigkeit und Naturschutz werden auch dieses Mal wieder großgeschrieben, weshalb die Veranstaltung zum dritten Mal als sogenanntes „Green Event Salzburg“ durchgeführt wird. Einmal mehr versucht man beim Stoabergmarsch24 Müll, und speziell Plastik, zu vermeiden. Ein weiterer Fokus wird auf die Anreisemöglichkeiten zur Veranstaltung mit öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln, sowie auf die Verwendung von regionalen Produkten gelegt.
For the first time this season, the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang brought together the worlds of Cross-Country and Downhill. The World Cup weekend in Epic Bikepark Leogang impressed with spectacular runs, a large dose of drama and spectators witnessed history in the making. Smiles and pride were seen all across the board, no matter whether they were organisers, race teams, riders or fans. Following a succesful first edition in 2021, the World Cup returned to the Saalfelden Leogang region in full force, with Cross-Country and Downhill riders descending on the Epic Bikepark Leogang. The quaint Austrian town has an established history in the Downhill world, with spectacular runs throughout the years. Even though Cross-Country has only been on the Leogang race calendar twice, there are already patterns emerging. For example, so far only Loana Lecomte (FRA) and Mathias Flückiger (SUI) have won the Cross-Country races (both Short Track and Olympic distance) and Local Hero Laura Stigger seems to have a subscription to Olympic distance third place finishes on the track with the most meters of climbing. Another pattern that has emerged over the years is the atmosphere that the amassed spectators bring with them. Over the three days, the 21,500 gathered spectators turned up in great spirits, cheering on more than 800 riders from 40 countries all the way from race start to finish, with fans gathered course-side as well as in the finish area. Even though bad weather looked to mess with the good spirits, the clouds parted right on time for the Cross-Country Short Track races on Friday evening and the sun would stay in place for the rest of the weekend. Drama and joy were readily interchanged, especially during the Downhill racing on Saturday. While Vali Höll, racing on her home turf, saw disaster strike during her race run, with two crashes putting her out of podium contention, finishing in sixth place, fellow Austrian Andreas Kolb had a career-best run, finishing on the podium in fifth place, less than a 2.5 seconds behind race winner Matt Walker (GBR) and becoming the first Austrian ever to finish on a World Cup podium. As usual, the gathered spectators were treated to much more than 'just' spectacular racing. Ahead of the Downhill finals, fans were treated to an air show, courtesy of the Flying Bulls. Pilot Miguel Hochleitner showed off his aerial acrobatics on board of the Trojan 28B, with the Top Gun soundtrack accompanying him. Meanwhile on Sunday, Senad Grosic hosted a BMX Show, which wowed Cross-Country enthusiasts in between the women's and men's races. Following the race action, fans were able to come face-to-face with some of their heroes and idols at the FOX Racing signing session. The Team Area was also frequently visited as the hunt for more signatures took attendees through the pits, where they could get an exclusive look behind the scenes of a race weekend. Meanwhile, the Expo Area was jam-packed with the latest and greatest of the bike world. "Thanks to the weather, the weekend didn't start great, but things picked up quickly once the rain stopped and made way for sunshine on Saturday and Sunday, becoming the perfect stage for the weekend's racing. Spectators were amazed by the racing here in Leogang. Andreas Kolb's podium place was the cherry on top for the Austrian fans, and I'm elated because of that. The same goes for Laura Stigger, who had an outstanding race," said Kornel Grundner, World Cup organizer and Director of the Leogang Cable Car. "After the first few hectic days, also because of the weather, today was the cherry on the cake of an incredible event. The weekend was great, and the racing was sensational. The weather gods played along and thankfully we had perfect weather across all the races, from Friday's Cross-Country Short Track, Saturday's Downhill and Sunday's Cross-Country Olympic racing. The crowd always makes it special and we witnessed history in the making once again. We couldn't be happier," said Marco Pointner, World Cup organizer and CEO of Saalfenden Leogang Touristik GmbH. The World Cup weekend carried the "Green Event Salzburg" label, which meant a focus on sustainability and environmentally friendly initiatives. The World Cup organizers offered a ticket refund for public transport, free regional shuttles, motivated teams and spectators to separate their trash and use recycling bins where possible, launched the MTB World Cup app in order to limit the use of paper and much more. Another initiative was the "Every Can Contributes", which focussed on the recycling of beverage cans. The free shuttles were a hit as well, covering approximately 1400 kilometres, which is about the distance from Leogang all the way to Barcelona. For everyone that missed the weekend's race action, replays are available on-demand on Red Bull TV.
The tradition can also be observed at various events in Saalfelden Leogang. Either you enjoy the solstice festival at the Ritzensee, the solstice fire at the seat or the "fire performance" with Thomas Girbl and musical accompaniment at the Hotel PURADIES. Centuries-old traditions and a luminous noble white made of 800 torches In Saalfelden Leogang these fires are considered particularly beautiful and elaborate. Club members of the Alpenverein, the mountain rescue service, the fire brigade and the nature lovers stage the Leoganger Steinberge and the Steinerne Meer every year with the many fires. From the valley, the luminous outlines of the mountains and the many fire pictures can be observed particularly well. One of the most famous fire pictures is the Edelweiss in the snow pit of the Steinerne Meer, between Persailhorn, Mitterhorn and Breithorn. For more than 50 years, the Saalfelden Fire Department has been drawing the 100-meter-wide and 180-meter-long Edelweiss with about 800 torches into the snow pit at over 2,000 meters. The exact size of the effigy depends on the current snow conditions. At 22.00 o'clock three red balls are fired from the valley as the starting signal for the ignition of the fires. Then the mountains shine – pure magic! According to an old tradition dating back to the 14th century, countless fires are lit in the Leogang mountains and the Steinern Sea on the shortest night of the year. According to the Pinzgau folk belief, the solstice fire casts out evil demons that cause disease, livestock damage or hail damage. The fire was a symbol of the sun and was also intended to bring growth and fertility to meadows and fields. Sunturn Festival at the Ritzensee Saalfelden ignites guests and locals alike with a solstice festival at the picturesque Ritzensee. Countless fires are lit on the ridges around the Saalfeld Basin. The huge edelweiss in the middle of the snow pit ensures a glowing floral greeting until after midnight. This year, the fire brigade will light up the 2022 figure. Programme: 18.00 Start of the event at the Ritzensee From 19.00 o'clock Musical framing by the small cast of the Eisenbahner Stadtkapelle Saalfelden From 10 p.m. the mountain fires burn out Free entry! Sunturn light at the seat The mountain ridges are on fire! In a radius of 360° degrees you can admire thousands of solstice lights from the Asitz (1,870m above sea level). Programme: Special ride of the Asitzbahn continuously from 17.00 to 24.00 (uphill and valley ride: ? 20,- (special price from 17.00)) Culinary specialities (hat and fondue food on pre-order) and live music with “Landfunk Tirol” are well catered for in the AsitzBrau. For the youngest visitors there is a bouncy castle at the mountain station. from 9 p.m.: Hike to the small asitz (20 – 30 minutes) From 10 p.m.: Burn out the solstice fires! (Fuel is available! Solid footwear and warm clothing is recommended.) Children up to 15 years free! Fire performance with Thomas Girbl On the 18th of June at 7.30 p.m. a slightly different fire burning for the solstice will be offered at the Hotel PURADIES: Thomas Girbl with his fire performance, the program will be framed musically by Jorg Hanusch. This event is organized by the Kulturverein FREIRAUM Leogang. Free entry! To register, please call +43 6583 8278 - info.puradies.com.
The skies have cleared and the weather has heated up as the riders tackle the challenging, although mostly dry, course in Leogang, that will push the legs, lungs and courage of the athletes as long steep climbs meet technical and steep descents. Loana Lecomte completes back-to-back perfect weekends in Leogang After a strong performance in short track, Loana Lecomte will certainly be looking to have a similar Leogang to last year, winning both events while Austrian’s Mona Mitterwallner and Laura Stigger will be looking to capitalize on their home-field advantage and get their first wins of the season. Of course, no one will have an easy victory as this stacked field is hungry. Strong challenger and reigning World Champion Evie Richards (GBR) is out of this race with a back injury while Pauline Ferrand-Pr´evot (FRA) will also not be racing, choosing to focus on other events. An immediate pile-up right out of the start saw Austrian’s Mona Mitterwallner’s hopes of getting out in front early disappearing before her eyes. She ended up in a pile-up that saw an issue with her handlebar alignment. She ran her bike up a section of the first hill but was unable to mount her bike and join the pack, running back to have it fixed. Despite her tough fight back into the race, she ultimately ended the day in 15th place. Olympic Champion Jolanda Neff (SUI) was able to hop into the lead early on in the start lap, but she was unable to add any real distance on competition and crossed the finish line just slightly in front of a challenging Loana Lecomte. In the first big climb of the second lap, Lecomte and Rissveds were able to get by Neff and add some distance between themselves and the competition. Meanwhile, Mona Mitterwallner headed back on course and quickly began to make some moves. The distance between the leading group of Rissveds and Lecomte has grown substantially through the first lap, putting them 30 seconds in the lead. Following a good start for Jolanda Neff it appears her legs just aren’t there for her today as she falls back to 20th place. Ultimately, she pushes back up to 8th place to end her day. The battle for the final podium spot is the closest to watch with Specialized riders Frei (SUI) and Stigger (AUT) within a second of each other and playing leapfrog throughout the first three laps. Meanwhile, the undefeated Rebecca McConnell is having a challenging race as she falls back to sixth place with two laps left. Lecomte continued her dominating performance through the next laps, and her lead grew until she ultimately crossed the finish line 1:13min. ahead of a spent Rissveds to grab her 6th career World Cup win. Austria's best hope lay on the shoulders of Laura Stigger, who sat in third place with one lap left. The exciting fight for third between Stigger and Frei continued into the last lap. It was an incredible show of determination as both riders were out of the saddle, but Stigger was able to add a few bike lengths on Frei, grabbing 3rd by just a few seconds. Just behind Frei was a persistent Terpstra (NED), grabbing herself a 5th place finish here in Leogang. An elated Loana Lecomte spoke on how she's feeling after her win. "Last year I was the first person in a long time to win 4 World Cups, and this year I was the first person to win a perfect weekend in the same place. So I am very happy to be honored in mountain bike history.” Cross-Country (XCO) Results Elite Women: 1. Loana Lecomte (FRA) 1:15:42 2. Jenny Rissveds (SWE) 1:16:55 3. Laura Stigger (AUT) 1:17:10 4. Sina Frei (SUI) 1:17:23 5. Anne Terpstra (NED) 1:17:52 Overall World Cup Standings Top 5: 1. Rebecca McConnell (AUS) 1093 2. Loana Lecomte (FRA) 916 3. Anne Terpstra (NED) 713 4. Laura Stigger (AUT) 698 5. Jenny Rissveds (SWE) 695 Fluckiger staves off Schurter (SUI) for another perfect weekend in Leogang In a group of men who are all ready and in great shape to go to battle to take top honors, it is impossible to know who will finish the day on top. There is no doubt that Mathias Fluckiger will be looking to continue his streak and go back-to-back perfect weekends in Leogang. Meanwhile, Schurter (SUI) will be looking to add another World Cup win, solidifying himself in the history books with the most World Cup wins of all time. Dascalu, Fidel, Albin, and the rest of the riders will do their best to make sure neither of these rider’s plans come true. A notable absence from the men's race was Tom Pidcock, who will not be racing this weekend, choosing to focus on road bikes in order to set himself up for the Tour de France. A quick start from Henrique Avancini (BRA) saw him rocket out of the start but he wasn’t able to hold onto it as Vlad Dascalu (ROU) got by him and immediately began upping the pace of the race. Nino Schurter showed off his fitness and strength as he passed Dascalu on the first big climb of lap one. Although there was no major separation between the riders, Schurter was leading the pack. Fluckiger changed up the top 5 with an impressive push, jumping multiple spots on the final climb of lap one putting himself in fourth place joining Hatherly, Dascalu, and Cooper behind Schurter. These men worked hard and did everything they could to not let Schurter take off as he set a challenging pace. The battle was on and the group stuck together. Dascalu was able to grab the lead for a moment before Schurter showcased his strength again and reclaimed his spot out front. The group was close, with Dascalu, Hatherly and Fluckiger all crossing the second finish line all within a second of each other, trailing Nino Schurter closely. An impressive boost from Mathias Fluckiger as he capitalized on the other seemingly relaxed riders was able to pass Hatherly, Dascalu and Schurter to take the lead. Breaking up the pack and pushing himself and Shurter out in front by 7 seconds. The two fight it out and Schurter is able to get past Fluckiger to regain the lead as these two continue to bounce back and forth. With 2 laps left, the Swiss riders took a commanding lead leaving Hatherly (RSA) 8 seconds back and Marotte (FRA) another 22 seconds back from him. Fluckiger was able to put his head down again and battle past Schurter on the first big climb of the fifth lap, with the two continuing to lead by a large margin. An all-out sprint for the final laps sees Fluckiger unable to drop Schurter and Schurter unable to pass. The final hills saw Fluckiger gaining the smallest margin on Schurter coming into the finish. A final sprint put Fluckiger 6 seconds up, earning himself another big win here at Leogang. This gave Mathias the perfect weekend he was looking for but caused Schurter to fall short on his search for the most World Cup wins. Marotte pushed hard but fell back as Dascalu battled past him, leaving him with a 5th place finish. Hatherly also lost some momentum as Dascalu picked up the pace to close the gap. Hatherly was able to hold on long enough to grab 3rd place, giving Dascalu a well-earned 4th place finish. “After Friday's win and today’s, I know I am in good shape - but this is just so tough. It was a great battle once again with Nino, this time a better end for me, and I am really happy about that! Congrats to him. This is tough, really tough. It’s a really demanding course here, lots of climbing and you never really have the chance to recover.“ stated a visibly exhausted yet thrilled Mathias Fluckiger Cross-Country (XCO) Results Elite Men: 1. Mathias Fluckiger (SUI) 1:15:31 2. Nino Schurter (SUI) 1:15:37 3. Alan Hatherly (RSA) 1:16:10 4. Vlad Dascalu (ROU) 1:16:16 5. Maxime Marotte (FRA) 1:16:40 Overall World Cup Standings Top 5: 1. Nino Schurter (SUI) 964 2. Vlad Dascalu (ROU) 775 3. Mathias Fluckiger (SUI) 711 4. Alan Hatherly (RSA) 692 5. Thomas Pidcock (GBR) 600 Great performances in U23 makes for exciting racing A super strong showing for U23 racers saw a very close battle for the woman as Puck Pieterse (NED) was narrowly able to best Line Burquier (FRA) to walk away victorious over 4 laps. The men's race saw a little more distance between competitors with Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (CHI) firmly grabbing the victory 19 seconds in front of second place. Will the Swiss be able to capitalize on home soil? This season is only a third of the way through, despite the amount of action we’ve already gotten to experience so far. The battle between Mathias Fluckiger and Nino Schurter is only going to heat up as they both begin to think about overall points. It is safe to say that Schurter will be doing his absolute best to win the race next month in Lenzerheide as he would be absolutely thrilled to capture the record for most World Cup wins on home soil. Sina Frei has been looking strong all season. A 4th place finish in Leogang will undoubtedly have her confidence high as she heads back to try and collect a World Cup win at home. Successful World Cup with a difficult start Despite difficult conditions at the beginning, the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang developed into the expected great MTB festival. More than 21,500 spectators followed the exciting World Cup decisions of the past few days, saw great drama and outstanding triumphs. After the rain stopped, big and small fans flooded the Expo Area to marvel at the hottest innovations in the bike world or to hunt for autographs in the Team Area. Not to mention the many side events, such as a Flying Bulls air show. For more information about the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang, head over to www.mtb-weltcup.at. For everyone that could not make it to the double World Cup, the full action can reviewed on Red Bull TV.
Especially in the women's competition, luck and drama were very close together: while Camille Balanche secured her third victory in the third race in Leogang, local hero Vali Höll again failed to win in front of her home crowd. There was still reason to celebrate for the Austrian fans, because Andreas Kolb secured fifth place and the best placement of the Austrian Downhill men to date. Former overall World Cup winner Matt Walker secured the first World Cup race victory of his career in Leogang. Balanche (SUI) completes the 3-peat in variable conditions Fortunately for both the riders and the 20,000+ spectators, the rain has finally stopped and the sun is shining, giving the wet and muddy course a chance to dry. However, it’s safe to say that despite a little warm weather, the slippery track and mud that has accumulated is a challenge that every rider will have to face. As was expected coming into this race, the final wood section acted as both the toughest section of the course and a section that would make or break a run. Coming off her win in Fort William, Nina Hoffman (GER) came into the wood section well into the green but lost it early into the mud. She was able to get moving again only to go back off line shortly after, ending her chance of standing on top of the podium today. Eleonora Farina (ITA) showcased her skill through the wood section and was able to keep her feet on the pedals and put down a clean run. Hitting the wood gap coming out of the wooded section gained her even more time, crossing the finish line over five seconds up. Myriam Nicole (FRA) looked to be holding a little back through the motorway. A mistake up top saw her battling to get back into the green which she was able to do before the wooded section. She powered through, finding herself deeper in the green and gaining 4 seconds on the leader by the time she crossed the finish line. A terrible-looking crash towards the top for Marine Cabirou (FRA) would end her chances. Fortunately, she would be able to ride away and make it to the bottom. Valentina Holl (AUT) was certainly keen to win on home track and was 7 seconds into the green when a small crash near the top would see her fall back half a second into the red. She was looking strong into her namesake wood section, but lost it again when she went over the bars, ending her chances. A visibly disappointed Vali fell to the ground at the finish line, where she sat in 5th place. Camille Balanche (SUI), the qualifying winner, rode a clean run from top to bottom. She found herself in the green right away, hitting all of the jumps, clearing the wood section, and hitting the Red Bull drop - all adding to her winning margin. Balanche, the final rider, crossed the finish line 11 seconds in front of second place giving her the hat-trick in Leogang. "It was way better. I tried not to risk it too much, because now it’s so fast I was not expecting this. I didn’t make the mistakes at the top and then when you start your run without mistakes it’s just better in the head. It felt really good, I’m so stoked. Third time in a row here is a dream, even more in quali and then crossed the line first. I’m on the moon.” said a visibly stoked Camille Balanche Downhill (DHI) Results Elite Women: 1. Camille Balanche (SUI) 4:08:218 2. Myriam Nicole (FRA) 4:19:586 3. Eleonora Farina (ITA) 4:24:281 4. Louisa-Anna Ferguson (GBR) 4:29:876 5. Monika Hrastnik (SLO) 4:30:258 Overall World Cup Standings Top 5: 1. Camille Balanche (SUI) 685 2. Myriam Nicole (FRA) 555 3. Valentina Holl (AUT) 460 4. Eleonora Farina (ITA) 395 5. Nina Hoffmann (GER) 368 Matt Walker (GBR) takes home first World Cup win A notable absence in the men's category is Scotsman Reece Wilson. Wilson took to social media to let fans know that he has not been feeling himself lately and is taking some time to get back to feeling good. Loic Bruni who injured himself in Fort Williams will also be out for this round. After a long time off his bike with a severe ankle injury, last year's winner, Troy Brosnan, was able to make a return and qualified in 6th place. Back from recovery as well, six weeks off the bike following a concussion saw Finn Iles back to full strength with a solid 2nd place finish in qualifying. Amaury Pierron (FRA) was sitting in second place coming into the woods, but was incredibly strong throughout the section, powering over the roots and nailing the corners. A brief foot dab was the only visible fault. Pierron crossed the finish line in first place, over a second up. Pierron would end the day in 4th place. Angel Suarez Alonso (ESP) was next in the starting gates. His splits bounced back and forth between red and green, always staying close to Pierron’s times. Angel looked strong through the wood section and powered through the final jumps into first place. Angel’s efforts would be enough to finish his day on the podium, in third place. Thibaut Daprela (FRA) was riding a wild run and was looking like he might be able to challenge the leader board. A crash in the woods would take that chance away. Starting off the race in the green and looking lightning-fast for the first split, Laurie Greenland (GBR) lost over 8 seconds before the second split. He was able to ride a fast rest of the race and salvage some points but certainly didn’t end up where he wanted to finish, far back on the leaderboard. Danny Hart (GBR) found himself up by over a second into the motorway. He was able to crush the rest of the run and stay in the green through the wood section and come out a second up. Hart crossed the finish line in first up by over a second with three riders left up top. Danny’s time in the hot seat wouldn't last long as his fellow countrymen was up next and would directly knock him off. Matt Walker (GBR) found the green by the second split by the narrowest margin. He lost the green for a moment but aggressively attacked the woods and found himself back in first. He was able to hold onto it and crossed the line knocking his fellow Englishman out of first. Two riders to go. We saw some potentially over-aggressive riding up top, causing Finn Iles (CAN) to fall back a little bit, but the battle was far from over. He worked hard to try and make it back, but it wasn't enough - 6th place with one rider left. The top qualifier Benoit Coulanges (FRA) looked fast and in control through the top of his run, gaining over a second on Matt Walker. He wasn't able to continue his clean riding, losing a foot and crashing in the woods. A disappointment for Coulanges, putting him in 20th place. Although Coulanges couldn’t hold on to get his first World Cup win, Walker watched from the hot seat and claimed his. An exciting day for the Englishmen with both 1st and 2nd going to Great Britain. Coulanges’ mishap gave the Austrian fans a reason to celebrate, too, as local hero Andreas Kolb (AUT) remained in fifth place, securing the best Austrian DH World Cup result in history and his first podium. “Honestly, I can’t put it into words. It's unbelievable just trying to absorb the moment as much as possible. Honestly, I didn’t expect it this week. It’s not a track I’ve done particularly well on in the past. I felt really good in practice this morning. I was confident in my lines, I made some bold choices with tires, and it paid off“ beamed an excited Matt Walker. Downhill (DHI) Results Elite Men: 1. Matt Walker (GBR) 3:28:816 2. Danny Hart (GBR) 3:29:141 3. Angel Suarez (ESP) 3:30:370 4. Amaury Pierron (FRA) 3:30:530 5. Andreas Kolb (AUT) 3:31:249 Overall World Cup Standings Top 5: 1. Amaury Pierron (FRA) 580 2. Matt Walker (GBR) 443 3. Danny Hart (GBR) 401 4. Benoit Coulanges (FRA) 380 5. Laurie Greenland (GBR) 354 Neither qualifying winners hold onto top spots through the finals Jackson Goldstone (CAN) and Jenna Hastings (NZL) were unable to hold onto their top qualifying position through the finals. Both riders went for it but finished in second place. Phoebe Gale (GBR) put down an incredible run and took top honors over 14 seconds into first place. Jordan Williams (GBR) came out on top of the men's race with a run that put him 4 seconds faster than Goldstone. Warm weather will make for great Cross-Country racing Clear forecast and dryer conditions will certainly make for some great Cross-Country racing tomorrow. As the mud dries and the ground hardens the speed that these riders will have to find will increase. For more information about the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountainbike World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang, head over to www.mtb-weltcup.at. For everyone that cannot make it to the double World Cup, the action can be followed live on Red Bull TV. It wouldn't be a Leogang World Cup stop without a packed schedule of side-events. Before the XCO final on Sunday a BMX show hosted by Senad Grosic will take place. The Expo Area will be filled to the brim with the latest and greatest from the bike world and in the Team Area, visitors can get a look behind the scenes at the daily life of athletes during a World Cup weekend. Both areas can be visited on Sunday (09:30 - 17:00).
The international Cross-Country elite racing kicked off the promising World Cup weekend in Saalfelden Leogang with two spectacular XCC races that were hard to beat in terms of excitement and drama. In the end, Loana Lecomte and Mathias Flückiger won their respective races in difficult conditions. Loanna Lecomte (FRA) puts it together for a dominating race win in the mud Traction would be a battle for the women competing for starting spots and overall points in the Cross Country Short Track race. Wet conditions leading up to the race created soft, slippery conditions which made the large climbs on this track even more challenging. Sadly for fans, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot was notably absent as she has chosen to focus her efforts on future events. Rebecca McConnell was able to blast out of the start and put herself in the holeshot position early on in the race. This course saw riders go straight out of the start into a massive climb which established much larger gaps between riders than we are used to seeing in these Short Track races. Lap one ended with McConnell (AUS) in the lead and Rissveds (SWE) following closely behind. McConnell was looking strong and held onto the lead through laps 1, 2, and 3 but Loanna Lecomte (FRA) was able to battle past McConnell in the 4th lap of the race. Lecomte was able to add loads of distance on the rest of the competition through the next two laps, finishing the 5th lap over 14 seconds in front of her closest competitor. Behind her, a group of 4 battled hard for second place, with McConnell at the back of that pack. Loanna continued to push her body and dominated throughout the remainder of the race. Riding hard and adding time on her competitors with each lap, she crossed the line heading into the final lap up by a whopping 21 seconds. This is even more impressive considering she was battling a flat rear tire for the final few laps. The final lap saw some change up with Terpstra (NED) battling through the group of 4 to grab second place, looking over her shoulder to see her Ghost teammate Bohé in third place crossing the final finish line. An exciting podium to see, with Loanna Lecomte winning back to back Leogang Short Track World Cup wins and her second short-track win overall, with Bohé finding her first Short Track World Cup podium finish. “I felt good and now I’m feeling good. I had a flat tire on the last 3 or 2 laps so I tried to push slowly to be able to finish the race. My leg is good and I can't wait for Sunday’s race. I didn’t expect to win today so if it can be possible, I will do that. I did it today and it’s a very good start for the weekend. We will see Sunday results. No pressure, just enjoy the time on my bike.” said an elated Loanna Lecomte after her incredible performance through seven laps XCC Short Track Results Elite Women: 1. Loana Lecomte (FRA) 21:21 2. Anne Terpstra (NED) 21:30 3. Caroline Bohé (DEN) 21:40 4. Alessandra Keller (SUI) 21:48 5. Rebecca McConnell (AUS) 21:55 Overall World Cup Standings Top 5: 1. Rebecca Mcconnell (AUS) 740 points 2. Alessandra Keller (SUI) 540 points 3. Loana Lecomte (FRA) 530 points 4. Anne Terpstra (NED) 504 points 5. Jolanda Neff (SUI) 475 points Mathias Fluckiger (SUI) battles for his second straight win at Leogang Round 4 of Short Track started with the men shooting straight out of the start gate into the first large grassy climb. Short Track World Champion Phillip Columbo (SUI) went down right off the bat, creating a large pile-up in the middle of the pack. Lap 1 ended with Avancini (BRA) in front of a very close race. The standings remained the same through lap 2 with Avancini in the lead and Dascalu (ROU) right on his tire with a large group of riders closely tailing them. The third lap showed a little more action with a bottleneck before the wood bridge requiring many riders to push their bike to the top of the slippery wood feature. Halfway through the race, a notable Nino Schurter (SUI) sat in 11th place. Swiss riders Fluckiger and his fellow countryman Albin were able to push past Avancini to head into first and second respectively with two laps to go. Albin was able to stay with Fluckiger for a brief period, but Mathias took off and was able to add massive distance on the rest of the competition. He started the final lap with a 17 second advantage. The battle for second place was the one to watch as Dascalu was able to stave off Albin, Avancini, and Schuermans to get the best Short Track finish of his career. This impressive performance by Fluckiger gives him his second Leogang Short Track race win in a row and an exciting start to a busy weekend. Some notable riders out of the top spots were current point leader Luca Schwarzbauer (GER) who finished 30th, Nino Schurter (SUI), who finished 11th, and Filippo Colombo who did not finish the race. “I was excited before the race and in the race. Actually this track suits me. I don’t know if it’s the track or just the location but I just enjoy riding here and when you enjoy it it’s normally a good performance.“ said an obviously thrilled Mathias Fluckiger. XCC Short Track Results Elite Men: 1. Mathias Fluckiger (SUI) 21:46 2. Vlad Dascalu (ROU) 21:57 3. Vital Albin (SUI) 22:07 4. Henrique Avancini (BRA) 22:10 5. Jens Schuermans (BEL) PHOTO Overall XCC World Cup Standings Top 5: 1. Luca Schwarzbauer (GER) 541 points 2. Mathias Fluckiger (SUI) 538 points 3. Henrique Avancini (BRA) 535 points 4. Alan Hatherly (RSA) 512 points 5. Nino Schurter (SUI) 490 points Everchanging conditions and a tight qualifying will certainly make for a great final. Tomorrow's Downhill is sure to be an exciting event to watch. As with Cross Country, the rain has made the downhill course even more challenging. The forecasted sun may turn the mud into an even trickier Peanut butter-like substance that will have every rider reevaluating their race strategy. This morning's qualifier saw Jackson Goldstone (CAN) continue his powerful riding this season with a 9-second lead over second-place while Jenna Hastings (NZL) was able to cross the line over 12 seconds ahead of second place for the juniors. Elite qualifying saw more strong riding as Camille Balanche (SUI) was able to put down a clean run, narrowly beating Vali Holl's time of 4:25.620 with a time of 4:25.019. Setting up for a dramatic finish for tomorrow's final. The men's elite qualifying was also a very close race with Benoit Coulanges (FRA) taking top honors with the next 4 riders all within 3 seconds of his time. Tune in tomorrow as the world’s fastest downhiller riders take to the mud to battle it out in Leogang Austria. For more information about the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang, head over to www.mtb-weltcup.at. For everyone that cannot make it to the double World Cup, the action can be followed live on Red Bull TV. It wouldn't be a Leogang World Cup stop without a packed schedule of side-events, including an air show of the Flying Bulls with the Trojan 28B and pilot Miguel Hochleitner Saturday before the DHI Elite finals and “Long Live Chainsaw” film screening at XCO VIP grand stand the following evening at 6:30 pm. Before the XCO final on Sunday a BMX show hosted by Senad Grosic will take place. The Expo Area will be filled to the brim with the latest and greatest from the bike world and in the Team Area, visitors can get a look behind the scenes at the daily life of athletes during a World Cup weekend. Both areas can be visited on Friday (12:00 - 20:00), Saturday (10:00 - 20:00) and Sunday (09:30 - 17:00).
