2028 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships will once again be held in Saalfelden Leogang. The bike park pioneers from Salzburger Land were able to convince the UCI with their application. Third Mountain Bike World Championship in Saalfelden Leogang After an all-around successful World Championships 2020 and the World Championships 2012, the fight for the desirable rainbow jerseys will be held for the third time in the Epic Bikepark Leogang and Austria's largest mountain bike region Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. From 30 August to 3 September 2028, Saalfelden Leogang will once again become the global epicenter of mountain biking. So far, officially confirmed are races in the disciplines Downhill, XCO, XCC and E-MTB which will be held on the challenging trails in the Epic Bikepark Leogang. Whether additional disciplines will be included in the program is currently not yet confirmed. In Saalfelden Leogang, the UCI's decision is welcomed with great delight by Marco Pointner, World Championships organizer and CEO of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik: "We are thrilled that the World Champs 2028 will once again be hosted by us in Saalfelden Leogang. The World Champs 2020 was a complete success for Saalfelden Leogang and its region and the fact that we got chosen again, confirms our successful work. We are once again delighted to welcome both the mountain bike pros and the fans for these World Championships. This has great charisma for mountain biking in the region and beyond to all of Austria as well as internationally." Kornel Grundner, World Championships organizer and managing director of Leoganger Bergbahnen, is also already looking forward to 2028 with anticipation: "The UCI's decision confirms the investments and work we have been doing here for more than 20 years. We want to continue to develop our bike park together with the scene and the world's best athletes and have been able to hold two successful World Championships and countless World Cups so far. Even though there are still a few years to go, we are already looking forward to the next big mountain bike highlight at Epic Bikepark Leogang." All other UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in the coming years will take place in Scotland (2023), Vallnord (Andorra, 2024), Valais (SUI, 2025), Val di Sole (ITA, 2026), Haute Savoie (FRA, 2027). New chance for the local hero? The fact that the 2028 World Championships will once again be held in Saalfelden Leogang also offers the reigning World Champion of 2022 and local hero Valentina Höll a new opportunity to win the home World Championships: "I am incredibly pleased that Leogang has been given the 2028 World Championships. There will certainly be a lot going on again for us bikers in terms of infrastructure, and I'm already very excited about that. In six years I'll be 26 years old and at the perfect downhill age. Until then, I will hopefully manage to get down a run at home without crashing. I'm really looking forward to it."
For three days in the EPIC Bikepark Leogang there were the latest test material, numerous workshops and lots of things to do. Just in time for the start of the fourth edition of the BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang, the first snow greeted the Leoganger Asitz: But even temperatures of less than ten degrees Celsius and continuous rain could not stop the enthusiastic bikers at the BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang. From Friday to Sunday, the festival site was open to browsing, astonishment and testing. Nearly 40 well-known exhibitors pitched their tents in the Expo Area to bring their test material to the man or woman. Hundreds of test bikes were tested in all weather conditions over the trails and tracks at Epic Bikepark Leogang this weekend. Always accompanied by top video material, because even the GoPro Hero 11, launched just before the start of the festival, could be borrowed and tested for the test rides. With workshops and bike professionals to perfect technology In addition to numerous renowned bike brands, many professionals in Pinzgau pitched their tents to chat at signing sessions and to pass on their knowledge to the bike-loving amateurs. The workshops around Austria's best downhillers Andi Kolb, Hanna Steinthaler, Marlena Neissl, Elias Schwaerzler, Jasper Jauch and co. were booked out throughout the festival weekend. Fabio Wibmer’s Bikeflip show was also very popular, which was quickly moved to the underground parking at the valley station of the Asitzbahn, where the East Tyrolean bike star and his Italian colleagues were able to warm up the audience with his tricks in the dry. And the junior competition, “Scott Junior Trophy Pumptrack”, took place on Sunday as planned – and how: around 70 enthusiastic children showed their skills via the waves and steep curves. And what would a BIKE Festival be without a party – at the Festival Party at the B3, night was turned into day. The date for the fifth edition of the BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang has already been set: In autumn 2023, the EPIC Bikepark Leogang will once again be the meeting point of the bike scene from 15 to 17 September.
The year is slowly coming to an end. But even though the days are getting shorter, that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. In Saalfelden Leogang you can perfectly extend the autumn and also feel the winter already. It is perfectly fitting that in some German and Austrian states the autumn holidays last until November. The great plus of the Saalfelden Leogang region: The Leogang cable cars are in use continuously until the start of ski operations. Hikers can enjoy the magnificent tours between rugged limestone cliffs and gentle grassy mountains for a long time to come. The trails are in excellent condition - 4560 man-hours are invested annually in their maintenance. An important tip: With the Saalfelden Leogang Card (included in the room rate of around 300 partner companies), holidaymakers ride the mountain railways twice a day for free - also with their bike. There are many other benefits. To extend the golden autumn, however, you do not have to go so far. Leogang is home to the spectacular Epic Bikepark, which is open daily until November 6. Both beginners and professionals will be happy here. The Riders Playground is a 10,000-square-meter practice area to get acquainted with mountain biking. Experienced bikers are waiting for numerous lines and trails, from very easy to difficult. Austria’s largest bike region is one of the most popular in Europe. In 2020 Leogang even hosted the Mountain Bike World Cup, in 2023 the next World Cup awaits. If you can’t wait for winter, you’ll get your money’s worth even in autumn. Perfect for this: the Ski Alpine Card is valid for the Ski Circus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn as well as for the glacier in Kaprun, where you can already make your turns on the slopes from October onwards. And if you want to relax with so much action, you can relax in the wellness areas of the excellent spa hotels and enjoy the fine cuisine of the region. One day hiking, the next biking and the next skiing - this is how autumn in Saalfelden Leogang can be perfectly laid out
The motto for the three days at EPIC Bikepark Leogang is: Test, amazement and above all a lot of mountain biking. An outstanding summer of cycling is coming to an end in Saalfelden Leogang: Next weekend the EPIC Bikepark Leogang will once again become the Mecca of the international bike scene when the renowned BIKE Festival stops in Pinzgau for the fourth time. With free entry, numerous highlights await. Above all, the free workshops with the stars of the scene, including Andi Kolb, the fourth place finisher in the overall World Cup downhill season that recently ended. He offers his workshop participants the unique opportunity to get to know the famous Leogang World Cup track “Speedster”. Another star of the scene will inspire with his legendary bikeflip shows: Fabio Wibmer comes to the festival in Saalfelden Leogang with six of his breathtaking shows. In addition to free workshops and many opportunities to test the latest material on the market (Scott, Specialized, Santa Cruz, Pivot, etc.) free of charge on various test loops, as well as the trails and lines of the EPIC Bikepark Leogang, visitors to the BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang are also waiting for numerous discounts: The Leoganger Bergbahnen, for example, is offering a 15 percent discount on all mountain and valley rides this weekend. Program highlights: Friday, 16.09.2022 Expo Area: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bike flip shows: 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. Saturday, 17.09.2022 Expo Area: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bike flip shows: 12:00 & 3:00 & 7:30 p.m. Open night 6-9 p.m. Sunday, 18.09.2022 Expo Area: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Scott Junior Trophy Pump Track: 10:00 a.m. Bike Flipshow: 1:30 p.m.
Fabio Wibmer comes to the EPIC Bikepark Leogang with his spectacular bikeflip shows. The Master gives himself the honor! With his stunning Bikeflip show, YouTube star Fabio Wibmer will show off his outstanding skills alongside his partner Andrea Maranelli as part of the BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang. With free admission, a total of six spectacular shows await, four of them with the East Tyrolean himself, including a big primetime performance on Saturday evening (7.30 pm) as part of the Open Night at the Expo-Area. In addition to his spectacular trick show, bike multi-talent and YouTube star Fabio Wibmer will of course also be available to his fans for autographs and photos during the festival. BIKE Academy with renowned professionals and experts This year's edition of the BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang (16-18 September) offers a lot of action around the topic of mountain biking: A large exhibition area with free test material, free workshops starting almost hourly, with Andreas Kolb, Elias Schwarzler, Joost Wichmann, Jasper Jauch, Stefan Schlie, Lukas Schaefer or Hanna Steinthaler and a lot of supporting programs await. The perfect weekend to pay a visit to the EPIC Bikepark Leogang: Workshops and tours with the professionals are free, all trails and lines are open, there are discounted lift tickets for everyone, a fair, with bike brands such as Scott, Specialized, Santa Cruz, Pivot and much more., where visitors will be able to borrow the latest equipment for testing, and a spectacular supporting program, a la Fabio Wibmer.
Over the past ten years, the organizers of the Biberg Auffireradler in Saalfelden Leogang have experienced a lot: extraordinary sporting achievements, challenging weather conditions, well-known names on the starting list and countless participants from the region – because the Biberg Auffireradler lives above all on its spirit among the locals. In addition to the sporting competition, the cozy gathering after the award ceremony with the big raffle, supported by numerous domestic sponsors, is an annual highlight. But this social highlight has to be earned hard, because the route of the Biberg Auffiradler is a hard nut: again it goes over numerous turns with a crisp 700 meters of altitude and 5.5 kilometers from the parking lot of the summer toboggan run up to the Berggasthof Biberg. If you want to climb the coveted “Beaver deer” at the end, you have to prove true uphill qualities with this route profile. The launch will take place on Friday, September 2 at 6pm. Registration is possible in advance at https://auffiradler.jimdofree.com/ and at Sport 2000 SIMON in Saalfelden, or up to an hour before the start of the race.
For the first time, Austria’s largest bike region, Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, will host a “super-event” of the newly organized Mountain Bike World Cup for mountain bikers from 15 to 18 June. In addition to the downhill and cross country decisions (short track and Olympic discipline), the Enduro riders will also for the first time determine their World Cup winners at the Epic Bikepark Leogang and Saalbach Hinterglemm. Three exciting mountain bike disciplines in one weekend: there is reason for joy in Saalfelden Leogang due to a restructuring of the international cycling federation (UCI), which for the first time unites all the major mountain bike formats in a common calendar in order to promote the growth of the sport. The combined 2023 calendar for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and the Enduro World Series includes 15 World Cup stops with 34 races and will take place in ten countries on three continents. Some new World Cups are also joined by renowned and experienced organizers, such as the team around Kornel Grundner and Marco Pointner in Saalfelden Leogang, which is given a special honor. From 15 to 18 June, Leogang will host the first meeting of the cross-country, downhill and enduro elite at the same venue. Leogang is one of only two triple World Cups in the coming season, which will start with enduro races in Oceania in March and end in Mount Sainte Anne, Canada, in October. “We are very proud to be part of the World Cup action again in 2023 and to be able to welcome a new discipline that fits perfectly into the EPIC Bikepark,” said the organizers, who have made the Mountainbike World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang a real summer highlight in Salzburg and beyond over the past decade.
Numerous workshops for all skill levels, the latest test material and much more waiting for you! Saalfelden Leogang will once again be at the centre of the mountain bike action in autumn – the special thing about the BIKE Festival, which also stops at Lake Garda and in Willingen? In addition to numerous renowned bike brands that travel to the Pinzgau with the latest material for testing, this year again some professionals have plenty of time and patience in their luggage to pass on their knowledge to the bike-loving amateurs and to exchange with the fans. For three days from 16 to 18 September, everything revolves around the topic of bike in the EPIC Bikepark Leogang: A large exhibition area with the latest trends on the market and lots of free test material awaits, as well as almost hourly, free workshops for all levels and with well-known experts, including Austria’s most successful male downhiller, Andi Kolb, who could also be recruited as a coach for the BIKE Academy, such as Elias Schwaerzler, Joost Wichmann, Jasper Jauch, Stefan Schlie, Lukas Schaefer or Hanna Steinthaler. The numerous trails and lines in the EPIC Bikepark serve as “classrooms” – participation in the workshops is like admission to the festival grounds free of charge. Discounted lift tickets are available on all three days of the event (minus 15 percent): “It’s the perfect weekend for a visit to the EPIC Bikepark Leogang. All workshops and tours with the professionals are free, all trails and lines are open, there are discounted lift tickets for everyone and a trade fair where visitors can borrow material for testing”, Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Tourism, is also looking forward to the fourth edition of the BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang. The popular junior competition, “Scott Junior Trophy Pumptrack”, is also back and offers the youngsters the opportunity to prove their skills on Sunday. Registration for the BIKE Academy tours and workshops for the BIKE Festival in Leogang 2022 starts on August 16th. Participation is free: https://leogang.bike-festival.de/
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)
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.
