When the tour returns, the longest stage ends in the center of Steyr

The region around Steyr from Kirchdorf to Waidhofen/Ybbs plays one of the main roles in the new edition of the Austria cycle tour after a three-year break under the new name “Tour of Austria”. In Steyr, home of the co-organizing “Hrinkow Advarics Cycleang Continental” cycling team, the penultimate and longest stage of the tour ends on July 5th.

“For us, this tour is the highlight of the season,” says team manager Dominik Hrinkow, who, as a once active professional cyclist, is still the record holder with eleven tour participations. The “Tour of Austria” starts with its comeback on July 2nd in Dornbirn and leads over five stages to the finale on July 6th on Sunday mountain.

Tour finale on Sunday mountain

For the first time, the tour will be organized jointly by the five local Continental teams, including the one from Steyr. “That was a brilliant decision,” enthuses Dominik Hrinkow, “on the road the teams compete against each other, but we pull together when it comes to organization. I’m excited.”

City Councilor for Sport Christian Baumgarten is just as enthusiastic about the fact that the Tour has chosen Steyr as a stage destination: “The Tour of Austria has already been here once in its 75-year history. As one of the most beautiful cities in Austria, Steyr is ideally suited for a finish.” This appreciation of the sports city of Steyr is mainly due to Alexander Hrinkow, who made this possible thanks to his contacts and many years of commitment.

He knows that everything will be demanded of the drivers on the longest stage of the Tour comeback from St. Johann/Alpendorf in Salzburg over the Pyhrnpass to Spital, then via Klaus in the direction of Molln and via Sierning, Aschach, the Saass and Christkindl to Steyr. “In Steyr, you first go through the Neutor to the town square for a sprint classification,” says Hrinkow, “and then via the Ennskai to Garsten, back to Steyr on the Ennsleite and over the Porscheberg to Kleinraming and back to Steyr to the finish line on the town square. It will be a great cycling spectacle.”

The tour finale the following day is guaranteed to be spectacular, with two climbs up the Sonntagberg to be mastered. Incidentally, the royal stage over the Großglockner takes place the day before the stage to Steyr. Dominik Hrinkow has special memories of them: “Gregor Mühlberger from Vestenthal, who started cycling with us in Steyr, was my teammate at Team Tirol and is still the youngest Glockner king of all time.” And there are currently mountain specialists in the team Hrinkow some.