Magical Elba
Although bike pro Hannes Klausner has travelled all over the world, the Salzburg native is always drawn back to Elba. "I love this island!" says Hannes Klausner, "Not just because of the trails, but also because of the crazy light moods. Here I surf down a path to the sea in the north of Elba - and the evening sun transforms the forest into a fairytale forest!"
Great cinema
No, even better: Superbruni! The Frenchman has once again shown nerves of steel. At the World Cup opener in Bielsa, Poland, the weather was capricious, showering the downhill track with snow and heavy rain. Loic Bruni held out at the summit and was the last to complete the super run. "I always feel insecure at the first race and ask myself: do I still have it in me?" said Bruni before the race. We say: You've got it! You are Superbruni!
Children's surprise
After a cold, fickle spring, the bike park season has finally kicked off. It's unbelievable what you get to see. Even kids like these two boys are already performing tricks and drops. The idea that playgrounds and bikes like this already existed in the 1970s makes us "older semesters" wistful. We had to make do with Bonanza bikes and Big Jim figures.
World record!
Pischahorn, Jacobshorn, Weissfluh, Chörbischhorn... At the end of the 14-hour day, the Austrian Tom Öhler stood on 15 Alpine peaks in Graubünden, Switzerland and set a world record in the process. "I love the summit experience," says Öhler, "why not be at the top more often, after all there are e-bikes!" The former trial world champion used a 170 mm Enduro with a Bosch motor from Haibike. The facts: 14 hours, 102 kilometres, 5550 metres in altitude and three kilowatt hours of energy consumed.
Interview with record-breaking biker Tom Öhler (42):
"On the move!"
BIKE: As many summits as possible in one day - that was your record attempt. How do you come up with such an idea?
Tom Öhler: My sponsor Haibike asked me if I would like to set a world record on an e-bike. Of course I would! I thought about what the best moment of mountain biking is for me - and that is standing at the top of the summit. So I came up with the idea of riding as many peaks as possible in one day. I wanted to use the e-bike to experience the summit more often. Some people roll their eyes at records like that. Oh, I don't take it too seriously. My record is meant with a wink. If my record is criticised, that's okay.
You are a former trials world champion and incredibly skilful in uphills. Braydon Bringhurst has made a name for himself. Are you in the same league as him?
He certainly has more power. In case of doubt, I have a bit more technique. That would be an exciting duel. I'd be interested in trying out the sections where he was travelling.
Does an e-bike have any advantages?
Not necessarily. With a normal bike, you have the advantage of being more precise on the road. Especially when you have to use trial techniques. With an e-bike, on the other hand, you keep moving and can continue riding straight away.
You were on the road for 14 hours when you set your record. What hurt you afterwards?
My knee. I overexerted it. A few days before my record attempt, I skied all the peaks, without support, all by myself.
What, a record before the record?
Yes, that's my mentality. I first want to know whether it works or not. (Laughs) And you can't really know until you've tried it. On the world record day, my knee started to tweak. Strangely enough, it hurt when I pedalled, when I pedalled round. Not when pushing or carrying. How was the record checked? Using three GPS devices that I had with me. The record judge from the testing institute was also there.
Have you ever fallen?
Thank God not.
Almost there
Finish sprint on the tarmac straight in Nové Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. You can see the strain on French rider Loana Lecomte (25). In lap 5/7 of the third Cross-Country World Cup, the BMC Factory Team racer almost catapulted into the stone field in a highsider, but escaped the crash by a hair's breadth. In the end: 9th place for Lecomte. Austrian Mona Mitterwallner took the win. Pure drama in the final moment: the leader Samara Maxwell got caught in the track tape on the last climb.
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Dimitri Lehner
Editor
