25 Years of EPIC Bikepark Leogang & 15 Years of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang

Two major anniversaries, the Triple World Cup in June, and Austria’s top mountain bike athletes took center stage at today’s press conference at the Red Bull Hangar-7 in Salzburg: in 2026, the EPIC Bikepark Leogang celebrates its 25th anniversary, while the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns to Saalfelden Leogang for the 15th time. Together with Austrian bike stars Valentina Höll, Andreas Kolb and Laura Stigger, the organizers presented the highlights of the upcoming season and once again underlined the region’s international importance for mountain biking.

Three disciplines, four days – a highlight for mountain bike sport

From June 11–14, 2026, the world’s mountain bike elite will once again gather in Austria’s largest bike region, Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. The event program includes World Cup competitions in Downhill, Cross-Country Olympic, Short Track, and Enduro, reaffirming Saalfelden Leogang’s status as one of the most established World Cup venues on the international racing calendar.

Thanks to a long-term partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and Saalfelden Leogang, the destination will remain a permanent fixture of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series until at least 2030. This also includes the region hosting its third UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in 2028.

“We are the only World Cup stop in the German-speaking region with a confirmed World Cup contract through 2030. In addition, we are one of only two venues worldwide to host all three MTB World Cup formats,” emphasized Marco Pointner, CEO of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik and organizer of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.

This year, ambitious amateur riders will also have the chance to be part of the action. “For the first time, hobby riders can experience the World Cup atmosphere themselves at the Enduro Open Race,” said Manuel Hirner, Head of the UCI Enduro World Cup course in Saalbach Hinterglemm.

The organizers are once again expecting strong international interest in 2026. In 2025, the World Cup weekend attracted around 22,000 spectators and 800 athletes from 40 nations.

“Thanks to the long-term commitment, sustainable investments are possible. This year, after consulting with the athletes, we invested around €200,000 into the Cross-Country course. There will be rock sections and special turf grids to ensure exciting racing even in poor weather conditions. All of this is already part of our preparations for the 2028 World Championships,” added Pointner.

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup weekend with a special focus on women in sport

The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series 2026 will not only bring world-class sporting action to Leogang but will also set new standards for women’s sport. For the first time, the Elite Women’s Downhill Final will close out a UCI Downhill World Cup weekend — a strong statement within the framework of the “Women in Mountain Bike” initiative.

Austria’s leading mountain bike athlete Valentina Höll already enjoyed a successful start to the season with a World Cup victory in South Korea: “My new team and my new bike — everything worked perfectly in South Korea. I was able to build great momentum and feel incredibly comfortable in my new bike-focused environment. I’m really excited for all the races to come.” The local hero also praised the organizers in Leogang: “It’s amazing to have a home World Cup — and even a home World Championship — secured until at least 2030. We’re incredibly grateful for that.”

Andreas Kolb, winner in Leogang in 2023, echoed those sentiments: “The organizers in Leogang are incredibly innovative. As athletes, we need exactly these kinds of people who are pushing things forward with so much passion. The races are perfectly organized every year and are always a major highlight for me.”

Alongside local favorite Valentina Höll and Andreas Kolb, Cross-Country star Laura Stigger is also looking forward to racing on home soil. She, too, has celebrated major successes in Leogang: “I was there myself during the World Championships in Saalfelden, standing next to the course, and I know how motivating it was as a young rider to see my idols racing live. Having home World Cups is incredibly important for the next generation. Last year didn’t go exactly as planned, but we learned from it. This year I want to go full gas again.”

From pioneering project to international bike destination

The foundation for Saalfelden Leogang’s successful World Cup story was laid by the EPIC Bikepark Leogang. In 2026, the bike park celebrates its 25th anniversary — a milestone for Austria’s largest bike region.

What began a quarter of a century ago as a bold vision has since developed into an internationally renowned showcase for mountain biking. When the bike park opened in 2001 as Austria’s first bike park, operations started with just four lines and one visionary idea.

Today, the EPIC Bikepark Leogang together with Austria’s largest bike region, Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, offers more than 120 kilometers of lines and trails — including 45 kilometers in Bikepark Leogang alone. With around 270,000 bike uplift rides annually, several World Championships, and now 15 World Cup events, Saalfelden Leogang has long established itself as an international competence center for mountain biking.

“The bike park was certainly the foundation for the 15 MTB World Cups we have hosted here so far,” said Kornel Grundner, Managing Director of Leoganger Bergbahnen and co-organizer of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. “An entire village, together with a handful of visionaries, worked together to launch this project. We were the first in Austria and succeeded in attracting an entirely new target group to the region.”

“The Bikepark Leogang is one of the most important bike parks worldwide,” also emphasized Harald Mayer.

The highlight of the anniversary celebrations will be the (Leo)Gang Days from July 24–26, 2026 — a major community event featuring group rides, a Night Whip-Off, workshops, and numerous side events.

Season launch with new trails and 185 days of bike action

The 2026 bike season at the EPIC Bikepark Leogang runs from May 8 to November 8, offering a total of 185 days of bike action.

New additions include the “Tour de Champions” across Austria’s largest bike region, along with new trails and infrastructure projects in all three destinations: Saalbach Hinterglemm, Leogang, and Fieberbrunn.

At the same time, the region continues to place a strong focus on sustainability and has received international recognition for its efforts. At the “UN Tourism & FIA Awards for Excellence in Sustainable Sports Tourism,” Saalfelden Leogang received the award in the category “Innovation in Sports Tourism Development.”

Leo Bauernberger, Managing Director of SalzburgerLand Tourism, explained: “The fact that a sports movement has been recognized for sustainable development is something entirely new and shows that it is possible to combine ecology, economy, and sustainability. Saalfelden Leogang has been a pioneer for everything that has developed in cycling throughout SalzburgerLand.”

Salzburg’s Sports Minister Martin Zauner also emphasized the importance of the development: “The evolution of Bikepark Leogang has been incredibly positive. I come from the area myself and know how much courage it took to establish the bike park back then. Having World Cups and a World Championship in the province of Salzburg through 2030 is by no means something to be taken for granted. The promotional value and the impact on young people are enormous.”