After 3 days of regeneration after the middle distance in St. Pölten, it went to the Austrian Championship in Cross Country Mountain Bike XCO in Stattegg / Graz on Wednesday. On the day of arrival we visited the extremely technical circuit. The next day there were 4 laps with a duration of about 60 ’to complete. The short and crisp climbs were just as tough as the technical downhills with large stones and steps, switchbacks and roots. Only now did I realize what I was getting myself into. But my MTB technique is pretty good and so I was looking for the ideal line. On June 3, at 9:00 a.m., the starting gun was fired for the race. For me there was only one tactic: full throttle. The competition followed the same tactic. The pace at the start was really fast. I got into the race quickly and had good pace in 2nd position. My "nervousness" subsided as I noticed that my legs were relatively fresh. I drove at my own pace and didn't concentrate on the others. On the third climb, my very strong team-mate Christopher Schwab attacked and was able to take the lead and be the first to go into the subsequent downhill. I was blocked by the competition and was therefore in 3rd position. This attack was decisive for the race. A hole opened and I couldn't overtake on the downhill. I couldn't close the gap in the following 3 laps either, so I finished my first XCO ÖM in 2nd place in the sports class behind a very strong team mate and more than a minute before 3rd. The trip was a great success and made me want to go for more.
