Aussies on fire at KitzAlpBike Festival
No one throws a party like the Austrians... a few quick Aussies crashed the KitzAlpBike party in the Tirol.
Heading to Europe to race your bike is almost a rite of passage for Australian competitive cyclists. Top professionals like Dan McConnell and Bec Henderson didn’t just score a pro gig and do it “all expenses”. They started through the national program, and then making it on their own, making huge sacrifices for their sport.
This weekend just gone, plenty of Aussies hit the KitzAlpBike Festival in the Tirol, Austria. With a Hill Climb nearby in Brixen on Wednesday, a marathon, a C1 ranked XCO race and a fashion show – there was something for everyone.
No one throws a party like the Austrians, and the racing kicked off on Wednesday evening with the Hill Climb race. Rigid forks, road tyres, skin suits… or just run what you brung. Dan McConnell won the men’s race, with Sebastian Jayne in 7th. Bec Henderson was 2nd, behind New Zealand’s Kate Fluker.
As the XCO race is C1 ranked (a classification by the UCI that denotes difficulty, and therefore ranking points on offer) it was well attended – a great way to get some more points and maybe move up a row before the next stop on the World Cup in Lenzerheide this weekend.
It was muddy, wet and slippery. The XCO course is mostly contained in a small wooded section and the adjacent field above the carpark in Kitzbuhel, and below the ski lift. Bec rode to the win in the women’s race, and Dan was 3rd in men’s.
Full results for the whole festival are on Datasport.ch
