29th edition was top

Silvretta massif is hot for the Ironbike anniversary

Daniel Federspiel: Winner in the short track(Bild: Erwin Haiden)

The highest elevation in the Bucklige Welt in the south-east of Lower Austria is the Eselberg, 974 meters above sea level. Last Saturday, Hermann Pernsteiner rode about three and a half times higher up the "local mountain" of his homeland, so to speak.

He rode the extreme distance of the infamous Ischgl Ironbike race over 70 kilometers and 3400 meters of altitude. And the "flatlander" was faster than any mountain biker in the Silvretta massif. He only needed three hours and 39 minutes for the insane route. Six minutes faster than the Italian Lorenzo Samparis, 6:22 faster than Frans Claes in third place. Daniel Geismayr (Silvretta MTB King 2024) and Daniel Federspiel (7th) were other Austrians in the top field. Host Federspiel had won the short track competition on Friday.

Claudia Peretti won the women's event(Bild: Erwin Haiden)

The women were also strong, with the Italian Claudia Peretti finishing fastest after four hours and 45 minutes, while Clara and Sabine Sommer were the best red-white-red fighters in fourth and fifth place.

The women's short tracker was won by Louise Daubermann from Germany, while the title of Silvretta MTB Queen went to Nicole Tschann from Switzerland.

700 bikers took up the challenge(Bild: Erwin Haiden)

A total of 700 mountain bikers took part in the two days of the competition. A number that also impressed TVB-Paznaun-Ischgl chairman Alexander von der Thannen: "So many participants - that makes us very happy," he said with satisfaction. Which is also an incentive for the next edition of this toughest mountain bike race in Europe. Because then the Silvretta Massif can celebrate an anniversary: it will be the 30th edition for the bikers' battle with the challenges of the Alps!