Mountain biking

Schladming Downhill Track - Austria's Finest

iXS European Downhill Cup is in full swing. The latest event in Schladming, Austria, saw 400 riders from 28 different nations and some of the biggest names of the downhill elite. At occasion of this past event, professional MTB rider Brendan Fairclough made a great edit pinning his Scott Gambler down the fantastic track in Schaldming for the second round of the iXS European Downhill Cup. The Planai Bikepark offers rookie trail, downhill advanced and downhill pro for every level of rider. Check out if you can hold on Brendan on the pro trail!

30. 6. 2014 Photos: 11

The agenda of this year’s iXS European Downhill Cup is special: you can say that the series even edges out the World Cup with its venues and tracks in 2014! After the first round of the EDC in Maribor, the second round led us to Schladming in Austria and, thus, to one of the most popular tracks in the world. Just to give you some details - what is waiting for you is a 2.5 km track that with spectacular 600 meters of descending on offer, including parts of the former World Cup course. Of course, this draws some attention, especially of the downhill elite.

The Bikepark Planai offers a wide range of possibilities and variations, challenging enough for all bicycle maniacs. The start is positioned at 1839 meters and can be accessed with the Planai gondola. You can then choose from a staggering 11 different trails which send you down on varying difficulty levels. Moreover, in case you haven´t got your own equipment, the Alpreif Bikecenter in the finish area provides bikers with all their necessities and also serves as a guiding point which offers assistance and support. Find the exact location of the start (hilltop) on the map of Adrex.com Locations...

Bikepark ranks among one of the best equipped in Europe. Therefore, the 2014 event start list includes names like Brendan Fairclough (GBR - Gstaad-Scott), Sam Blenkinsop (NZL - Lapierre Gravity Republic), Loic Bruni (FRA - Lapierre Gravity Republic), Rémi Thirion (FRA - Commencal Riding Addiction), Markus Pekoll (AUT - MS Mondraker), Tracey Hannah (AUS - Hutchinson UR), Emmeline Ragot (FRA - Lapierre Gravity Republic) and Manon Carpenter (GBR - Madison Saracen).

Next stop is Val di Sole in Italy. The well-known Val di Sole in the Trentino area owes its name to the Mountain Bike World Championships in 2008 and to its repeated role as a venue of the World Cup. The track is known to be one of the hardest downhill tracks in the world and therefore simply calls for a seat in the iXS European Downhill Cup. After Maribor and Schladming, Val di Sole is the third of seven venues of the EDC 2014 and the first three stops have even more in common: They are all former World Cup tracks and they all belong to the favorite tracks of the downhill elite! Stay tuned for more!