Courtesy of Red Bull Media Service Team
Tyrol mountains host 33rd edition of gruelling Red Bull Dolomitenmann.
The 33rd edition of Red Bull Dolomitenmann saw 97 teams from 10 nations compete for the unofficial World Cup of extreme sports as the likes of Hannes Aigner lined up for the punishing event in Austria on September 12. Here is all you need to know:
– The picturesque medieval town of Lienz saw some of the planet’s best extreme athletes give their all in the “toughest team contest under the sun”, which came to fruition in 1988 when former world bronze medallist downhill skier Werner Grissmann realised his dream.
– “When suffering is fun” is the event’s motto as athletes need to prove themselves together in mountain running, paragliding, wildwater kayaking and mountain biking.
– This time around Remi Bonnet, Chrigel Maurer, Lukas Kubrican and Juri Ragnoli combined for Kolland Topsport Professional to win in 4hrs21mins27secs from the mighty Red Bull team that comprised Anton Palzer, Paul Guschlbauer, Harald Hudetz and Daniel Geißmayr.
– It was Kolland Topsport Professional’s third title as three-time world canoe slalom champion Aigner finished in 13th with his team Fitstore24 DB Schenker 2.
– Italian Francesco Puppi completed the 2,000 vertical metres and 12km to finish first in the mountain running from Remi Bonnet (SUI) and Henri-Aimo Aymonod (ITA).
– Swiss Maurer was the best in paragliding for the second time, nearly a minute ahead of Martin Stoffner (ITA) with compatriot Tobias Grossrubatscher third.
– Maurer, 38, said: “I was extremely happy that the race could take place because I won here before and I wanted to win again. I started the race in second with a small gap to the first. I managed to stay calm in the tricky passages – for example at the start – then I attacked and even had to take out some speed so that I could stop over at Moosalm.”
– Czech Lukas Kubrican won the kayaking for the fifth consecutive time with Austrian Hudetz narrowly missing his eighth win 23 seconds back leaving Aigner third.
– Although Andreas Seewald’s team did not make it to the podium after taking fourth place overall, the German won the mountain biking after 1,600 torturous vertical metres up to Hochsteinkreuz and downhill on the Alban Lakata Trail with last year’s winner Daniel Geismayr (AUT) second and Kristian Hynek (CZE) coming in third.
– The Wings For Life team of world champions Dominik Landertinger (AUT) and Benjamin Karl (AUT), canoeist Marcel Bloder (AUT) and Red Bull Dolomitenmann veteran Wendelin Ortner ended up in 34th place.
– Chief organiser and Werner’s son Nikolaus Grissmann said: “After half a year of really tough preparations, we are absolutely happy now. In the end, everything turned out well. The weather was great and the original route was feasible today. You can’t wish for more.”