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Leogang, in images.
Bikepark Leogang is one of the international bike spots, every mountain biker has heard of. It is the spot, where the first double backflip was landed during a contest, it is the spot were Greg Minnaar regained his world championship title after 10 years. And it is also the spot where Stevie Smith and Gee Atherton had their legendary final battle for the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup overall title in 2013. Let''s roll back over some of the highlights from the season with these captured moments.
White Style:
Saalfelden Leogang wastes no time in starting their mountain bike season. Already at the end of January the snowy White Style event kicks off the European leg of the FMB World Tour. For the first time in 2013 we could catch a glimpse of the level of riding we can expect to see in the season: highly technical, complex tricks requiring extreme body and bike coordination is what was presented. Examples? How about Adrian Tell''s Cashroll or the sensational backflip double tailwhip from Russian rider Pavel Alekhin! Needless to say Pavel took home the victory that wintery afternoon.
You can catch last year''s highlights on YouTube via:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xpIXkmaR9Q
Out of Bounds Festival/26TRIX:
The Out of Bounds Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary. So officially, for more than a decade now, the event brings together downhillers and freeriders for a gravity frenzy weekend. Downhill racers rolled-in in their battle for the iXS European Downhill Cup series. Last year, more than 400 participants started on the notorious world cup track in Leogang during the Out of Bounds Festival. Fastest man of the day was French rider Loic Bruni from the Lapierre Team and likewise, French Madame Floriane Pugin from the Scott Gstaad team took the win in the women''s competition. Meanwhile, across from the taped course, the dirt jumpers put on a jaw dropping show at the 26TRIX competition - a Gold event on the FMB World Tour calendar. Onsite and online viewers could enjoy the action. After all the bikes were flipped and bars spun, it was ''Britannia'' who ruled the 26TRIX podium: Sam Pilgrim, the 2013 FMB World Tour Overall Champion came in first place, followed by Canadian Brett Rheeder and the second British national Sam Reynolds.
Here is the link to the official 26TRIX highlight clip 2013:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymIM6OwfVEA
UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup/ UCI Four Cross World Championships:
Towards the end of the season the mountain bike universe yet again gathered in Leogang, this time for the last stop of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup and the UCI Four Cross World Championships. Surrounded by only a subtle hype, the battle for the Four Cross crown proved to be an elbow-to-elbow race with crashes and high-speed jumps. At the end of an exhausting day, Joost "the Boost" Wichman stood on top of the podium. The Dutch athlete showed some impressive maneuvers and after some seemingly unwinnable situations, he fought back to grab the World Championship title. In the women''s competition it was Australian rider Caroline Buchanan, who was awarded with the UCI rainbow-jersey at the prize giving.
Last but not least, downhill fans witnessed one for the most fearsome races for the overall UCI Downhill World Cup title between Stevie Smith and Gee Atherton. Both athletes had the glory in their sights but as we all know, it was the man with the ''tash'', Stevie, who reigned victorious. In the women''s category, Emmeline Ragot finally achieved a well-deserved victory but her win in Leogang could not stop Rachel Atherton from taking the world cup season win.
Here is the link to the official UCI Downhill highlight clip from the Saalfelden Leogang race: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_qbqJB2-xo
As well as the UCI Four Cross World Championships highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7SH5graZ4Q
Naturally, Saalfelden Leogang will be inviting athletes and fans for another action-packed year this season. Full of high-class events, White Style will kick everything off at the end of January. Then in June, freeriders and downhill elite will return for the 11th edition of the Out of Bounds Festival, including 26TRIX and the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup. Please find all confirmed dates for 2014 below:
January 31st: White Style - This unique event will give us our first taste of what to expect in 2014 from the freeriding pro''s.
June 4th to 7th: BIKE Four Peaks - This marathon race through the Pinzgau region and Tyrol comprises 275 Kilometer and 9,250 vertical meters in total. This four-day stage race will debut in 2014, featuring Leogang as the official starting point.
Further information on: http://bike.saalfelden-leogang.com/en/events/2014/bike-four-peaks/
June 12th to 15th: Out of Bounds Festival - A classic among Saalfelden Leogang events, in 2014 featuring the 26TRIX as well as the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup.
July 8th to 10th: Peak Break - 2014 Saalfelden Leogang will be one of the eight stages of the 900 kilometer long and 19,000 vertical meters trans-alp race.
September 19th to 21st: This weekend will unite three different competitions to create another thrilling weekend full of mountain bike action:
- iXS European Downhill Cup final stage - Europe''s best downhill riders will compete for tenths of seconds on Bikepark Leogang''s World Cup track
- Specialized Enduro Series powered by Sram - the exciting enduro series stops for the first time in Saalfelden Leogang with the final stage of the 2014 tour.
- SCOTT Junior Trophy - the second edition of this enjoyable kids race will be a competition focusing on the fun factor for kids from 3 years old.
The region of Saalfelden Leogang, which has been awarded as Austria''s most popular bike holiday region, thanks its partners GoPro, SCOTT, Volvo and CamelBak and wishes all the friends of the region and bike fans a pleasant and short winter period!