12 / 05 / 2010

2010 was a rather successful year:

7 out of 17 races I was able to win (overall or age group), 10 podium places total.
Abroad, I participated in 7 races (2x USA, Italy, Czech Republic, France, Switzerland and Australia).

At some competitions in Austria some very strong international athletes were participating.
Of course, I also had bad moments due crashes, technical defects and injuries. More than once I required medical attention during or after a race. Reports of all my competitions can be found under "Reports" in my website.

After the military service, it went straight to Australia for 6 weeks, followed by the United States.
Travelling all over Europe by plane and by car was about my daily life during summer, as well as the grand finale, the XTERRA World Championship on Maui, Hawaii.
The season was not cheap. Thanks to the supporters and sponsors - especially my parents.

Studying at the Technical University in Vienna - Sports Equipment Technology - is a good balance to approximately 20 training hours per week.

Outlook for 2011:

VCM runs in the Vienna Prater: 1/23 - 7 k, 2/20 - 14 k, 3/13 - 21 k
3/20  "Duke of Trash", MTB - Vienna / Austria
5/14  Sprint Triathlon - Linz / Austria
5/20  Ironman 70.3 Austria. - St. Poelten / Austria
6/25  XTERRA Austria - Klopeinersee
7/10  XTERRA France
7/23  Triathlon, Olympic Distance - Muerzzuschlag / Austria
8/13  XTERRA Czech
8/20  XTERRA Germany
9/11  Ironman World Championship 70.3.- Las Vegas / USA
+ other local (Austrian) events

My next competition:
12/31/2010 Vienna New Year's run

10 / 24 / 2010

XTERRA World Championships Maui, Hawaii

Bad crash, wounds, pains, broken shifting
Still, a respectable result at the professionals

During my third participation at the XTERRA World Championships on Maui (USA), I was accompanied and supported by my mother and sister Larissa. After my victory at the Junior World Championships 2008 and 4^th in the Age Group (21-25) 2009, I wanted to know how I'd be placed in the Pro field.

At swimming I showed further improvement. My dislocated shoulder from the XTERRA Switzerland, six weeks ago, did not cause any problems.

I knew the very technical mountain bike course quite well. I was very fast and was constantly on overtaking - until it happened: I crashed on a fast downhill section and fell pretty bad on sharp lava rocks. I rested for several minutes with my bleeding entire left side, however continued the race. At the next aid station I got some ice spray on ankle, knee and hip. About 8 kilometers before transition to the final run, a rock wrecked my front shifter and I got only one gear left. On straight downhill passages my pace was too slow, uphill I had to push very hard.

Badly bruised I ran the final 10 km very fast and finished the race with 3:01:59 - 31^st place in the pros. In the Age Group (20-24), I had finished 2^nd, without my broken bike I had won the amateur category superiorly.

The victory and world title went for the 4^th time to Conrad Stoltz from South Africa. Shonny Vanlandingham (USA / HI) won the women pros. Michael Weiss (AUT) got 3^rd and Carina Wasle (AUT) got ranked 6^th.

After finishing my deep wounds were cleaned and cared by doctors in the medical tent. Some scars will be visible for a couple of weeks.

Race video

My next events:

11/28/2010  Moedlinger City run / Austria
12/31/2010  Vienna New Year's run / Austria

10 / 09 / 2010

MTB "Weinberg-Trophy"- "Vineyard Trophy"- 3rd place
As a 2-Men Team "Technikum Vienna" on the Podium

Last weekend at the MTB "Anninger Trophy" we rode against each other - my fellow student Chris Unterweger from East Tyrol and I - and got rank 3 and 4.

Now we decided to race as 2-men team "Technikum Vienna" at the
5-hours MTB "Vineyard Trophy" in Großengersdorf in Lower Austria in the north of Vienna. The competition was about who can go as far (mileage) as possible as a single rider or as a team (usually four members per team) after 5 hours. One lap was 10 km and had very steep climbs and descents but also flat and easy parts. About 100 individual starters and about 40 teams were at the start line.
At the start at 11:00am it was still pretty cool, but bright blue sky. Temperatures during the race were ideal. I opened the race, and after a lap of 10 km - about 23 minutes - it was the first change to my team-partner. This was how we kept it to the end of the race. During the 23-minute "break" - when it's the team partner turn - there was hardly any time for regeneration. We had a pretty good race, and up to the end we barely had a drop in our performance.

After 5 hours we did 126 km together 3^rd place.
The winner was the team "UVEX Austria" - a 4-men team with a mileage of 134 km. 2^nd place went to the 4-men team "Velo Buzzers" with 130 km. Both teams had very strong, well known bikers.
As a single rider Willi Vorderderfler - who already won several long distance MTB-races - was unbeatable with 124 km. But he was just a bit behind us.

My next contest and a highlight of the season:

10/24/2010  XTERRA World Championships Maui, Hawaii, USA -
                     my first World Cup in the Pro Category.
                     10/21 is my departure to Maui. Due to a project
                     on college I have to shorten the trip to the USA.

10 / 03 / 2010

MTB Anninger Trophy - 4^th place

Anninger Mountainbike Trophy was my first competition after my shoulder injury at XTERRA Switzerland three weeks ago.

An hour before the MTB-start there was also a run on the same track - 5.8 km, 450 meters vertical, max. 22% ascent. Taking part in both competitions was not possible. I decided on the mountain biking, although I had won the "Weinstrassenlauf" run a month ago.

The weather wasn't nice at all. Fog on top of the Anninger and cool temperatures made it not very welcome for the round 100 athletes. I knew the courses well because of many trainings I did up there. The surface, especially the stones were very slippery this time.

With my 4^th place, I am not dissatisfied. The overall win went to Roman Plank. Just seconds ahead of me my student fellow Christoph Unterweger (Pro Bike Lienz) got 3rd. In the women's race Lisa Ribarich, also a student fellow of the Sports Equipment Technology department was competing.

My next events:

10/09/2010   MTB "Weinberg Trophy" Großengersdorf / NÖ / Austria
                     (5 hour marathon - individual or relay)

10/24/2010   XTERRA World Championships / Maui / Hawaii / USA

09 / 11 / 2010

XTERRA Switzerland

Dislocated shoulder after 150 m swim

The XTERRA Switzerland took me about 150 meters - two minutes.
During a turnover I got hit by another athlete and dislocated my left shoulder. Fortunately after a few seconds the shoulders jumped back into its place. In pain I was able to swim back slowly to the start. This was certainly my shortest race in my career. I got my hand fixed in the ambulance tent and took a few hours later - a day earlier than
planned - off back home to Vienna.

Optimally prepared
For the XTERRA Switzerland, I was perfectly prepared. The weather was excellent. Contrary to the weather forecast it was really warm, almost mid-summer. The day before, I inspected the course. It was surprisingly pretty flat.

"Big Kahuna" Dave Nicholas, and the XTERRA President Janet Clark were also present at XTERRA Switzerland, which was held for the first time. I look forward to Maui for the World Championships - I'm sure I'll be in shape again.

Switzerland is an incredibly beautiful country. The train transportations are ideal. However everything is very expensive and in the region around Genève, French is language number one.

My next events:
10/03/2010   MTB "Anninger Trophy" Gaaden / NÖ / Austria
10/24/2010   XTERRA World Championships Maui / Hawaii / USA