Only a few days until the KitzAlpBike Festival calls!

Updated 23.06.2023

From 28 June to 1 July, the international mountain bike community will once again be looking to the Brixen Valley. In these days, the 27th edition of the KitzAlpBike Festival goes on stage. For four days, mountain bike professionals and hobby bikers can draw from a varied festival programme. In addition to familiar formats, there are also new things to discover in the 2023 calendar. The big eye-catcher is of course the KitzAlpBike Mountain Bike Marathon on Saturday, 1 July - one of the toughest but also most beautiful marathons of the racing season.

For over a quarter of a century, the KitzAlpBike Mountain Bike Marathon has been calling its participants to the Kitzbühel Alps. In 2023, the event will once again be one of the highlights of the racing calendar. One of the toughest, but also most beautiful long-distance races will once again take participants over and through the unique mountain world of the Kitzbühel Alps on four different distances - Medium (38 km, 1500 hm), Medium Plus (65 km, 2500 hm), Extreme (74 km, 3000 hm) and Ultra (86 km, 3600 hm). In addition to impressive climbs, the routes also offer fantastic single trails and a unique view of the local mountains. Hundreds of spectators stand on the edge of the course every year and whip the athletes on the "Streif of mountain bikers" forward with frenetic cheers. This year all spectators will once again have the opportunity to take the SkiWelt gondola lift in Brixen up to the Choralpe hotspot free of charge.In addition to top-class racing, there will also be plenty on offer on the festival site at the Fleckalm cable car in Kirchberg. In the expo area, manufacturers will present the latest updates in mountain bike equipment.

Old but gold: the cult competition VAUDE HillClimb beckons

The KitzAlpBike Mountain Bike Festival kicks off on 28 June with another cult competition: the VAUDE HillClimb in Brixen im Thale. In its 14-year history, the event has long since developed into one of the biggest and most popular hill sprints in the German-speaking region. Every year, several hundred participants tackle the 5.5 kilometres from the village centre to Hochbrixen. Among them are the local mountain sprint elite and professionals from the international marathon and cross-country scene, as well as amateur and hobby bikers from all over the world. One thing unites the riders on the 500 metres of altitude up to the finish at Filzalmsee in any case: burning calves, the full endorphin release, and with hundreds of spectators along the course, also a race atmosphere that is second to none.

A new event on the calendar: Funduro Kirchberg

On 30 June at the KitzAlpBike Festival, it's time to unpack your skills, stamina and desire for a good portion of biking fun. As a newcomer to the festival programme, the Funduro Kirchberg will take the stage this Friday and offer one of the most entertaining and versatile forms of mountain bike racing. The fun enduro race is divided into stages in which the riders compete against the clock. In between, challenging transfer stages lead to the start of the next stage without time classification. The total distance is 1000 metres in altitude for single starters. In addition, there is the possibility to start in teams of three. These teams will divide the route: Stage 1 (red) - 450 metres of altitude, Stage 2 (blue) - 150 metres of altitude, Stage 3 (black) - 550 metres of altitude. Mixed teams only. Each relay team should consist of women and men.

Youngsters are challenged at the KitzAlpBike technical Kids Race

Also on Saturday , the KitzAlpBike Technical Kids Race is a novelty in the cross country mountain bike scene. At the circuit race in the finish area at the Fleckalmbahn, the classes U7 to U19 will race over age-appropriate technical elements and obstacles. The wooden obstacles, jumps and stone and root passages to be overcome will not only challenge and promote the endurance but also the technical skills of the young bikers. As for the sporting supporting programme, a bike skills course awaits on Thursday, 29 June, as part of the "Schau zuichi Markt" at the music pavilion in Westendorf. Technical skills will be in demand from 3.30 pm.

Contact:Daniela Maier: dani@smpr.at // +43 664 23 422 11