After two years without a granite marathon, the toughest race in the area will take place again on May 28th and 29th. On Saturday, May 28th, the youngsters will start again in the ASVÖ Junior Granite Challenge. Bikers between the ages of 6 and 17 tackle the routes of various lengths. With a technology competition right in the MTB center and the cross-country race, you are well positioned. Incidentally, the technical obstacles can be used all year round and offer perfect training opportunities at different levels of difficulty.
In 2020 the anniversary of the granite marathon would have been celebrated – with a state championship in the MTB marathon. Unfortunately, nothing came of this festival – but the state championship stayed with the Kleinzellers and so the Raiffeisen Granitmarathon celebrates its comeback all the bigger and chooses the state champions on the marathon distance in addition to the winners on four routes (26 km, 49 km, 60 km 90 km). Some big names in Austrian mountain bike sport have already announced themselves. Among others, Olympian Christoph Soukup, seven-time state champion, three-time world champion and two-time European champion Alban Lakata, Philip Handl, European ultra-mountain bike marathon champion, and Daniel Geismayr, who has already won silver and bronze medals in the MTB marathon at the World Championships home has.
For the women, there will probably be no avoiding Babsi Mayer, who has contested the granite marathon many times in recent years and knows it like the back of her hand. For the home audience, Julia Gierlinger is a hot potato in the race, who sensationally bagged the vice state champion last year.
High voltage e-bike challenge
The organizers from Kleinzell have taken a close look at the developments in mountain biking in recent years and are breaking new ground with the High Voltage E-Bike Challenge. The currently popular e-mountain bikes are permitted, without modifications, of course. The route of the Granitmarathon Light is driven, which means 26 kilometers and 700 meters in altitude. However, e-bikers can take it easy downhill and on the flat, the total time doesn’t count. So the e-bikers can easily cruise through the granite land and enjoy the atmosphere.
Source: Nachrichten
