Saalfelden Leogang once again the stage for the world's best downhillers

291 riders from 31 nations will once again tackle the slightly adapted "Speedster" World Cup course next weekend, including a rising local heroine.

Next weekend, Saalfelden Leogang will host the only downhill World Cup stop in Austria for the eighth time in a row. The organisers of the Out of Bounds Festival took the World Cup in Leogang as an opportunity today to look ahead to the upcoming World Cup weekend and the upcoming major event, the 2020 World Championships, in a press conference: "We are one of seven World Cup venues in seven countries. This internationality is of course an important image factor for us. In addition to the reputation in the scene, the numerous teams also bring us many overnight stays," explains Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik.
 

Vali Höll: "Just go and send it"

Two athletes can claim that the World Cup in Leogang is like racing in their own living room: young Valentina "Vali" Höll from Pinzgau and Leogang triple winner Aaron Gwin. Vali, who is only 16 years old, starts her first ever home World Cup weekend tomorrow, but with two World Cup victories in Losinj and Fort William, she can go into Saturday's qualification and Sunday's final full of confidence: "I've waited so long to finally be able to stand in the starting gate of the Leogang World Cup. This is a dream come true for me. I've already raced well and fast a few times, so I want to be good and fast at home too. I want to win and show what I can do. That's the pressure I put on myself. The challenge is to deal with it." The World Cup in Leogang comes at the right time for Aaron Gwin: "Things didn't necessarily go well for me recently with the crash in Fort William, but I should be fine again by Sunday in terms of the pain. I love everything here in Leogang, the surroundings, the hotels, the course. I now not only have special memories of Leogang, but also many friendships," says Gwin.

2020 Downhill World Championships in Leogang

In 2020, the World Championship medal decisions in the downhill discipline will return to the experienced World Cup venue. "For us, this is a brilliant confirmation that we not only organise exciting races and offer a good infrastructure, but also that the entire team - from landowners to volunteers - works together perfectly," says Kornel Grundner, Managing Director of Leoganger Bergbahnen. Marco Pointner is also convinced of the appeal of this major event: "The eyes of the international mountain bike scene will once again be on us with the Downhill World Championships. We can once again emphasise our status as a bike destination."
"You can't position yourself at the top of the world without top events. We are happy that Saalfelden Leogang is pushing the bike theme towards world class and are really looking forward to the World Championships in the Pinzgau bike mecca," explains Leo Bauernberger, Managing Director of SalzburgLand Tourismus.

For the 30-year-old Gwin, the 2020 World Championships are still on the agenda: "I definitely want to win another World Championship title in my career, and if I could do it on one of my favourite tracks - like here in Leogang - that would be fantastic." For Vali Höll, the 2020 World Championships will take place in her first elite year: "So far, no girl has managed to be at the top in her first elite year. Of course I want to achieve that."

But first, the American, who is spoilt for success, and the young up-and-comer from Pinzgau have to add a new chapter to their love story with Leogang.

For all those who can't make it to Leogang, the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup in Leogang is available live and as video-on-demand free of charge at www.redbull.tv/uci/deutsch on the Red Bull TV BIKE Channel: redbull.tv/bike. The Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup in Leogang will also be broadcast live on Servus TV.

Photo: from left to right: Kornel Grundner (Managing Director Leoganger Bergbahnen), Valentina Höll, Aaron Gwin, Marco Pointner (Organiser Out of Bounds Festival), Leo Bauernberger (GF SalzburgerLand Tourismus) © smpr.at