Max Stöckl on the Streif at speed
Stöckl has now followed the motto “Why wander into the distance?” Every year, its local mountain invites the fastest downhill skiers to the legendary Streif, but it has not yet been attacked on mountain bikes . This should now change. Precisely because the incredibly steep stretch on the Hahnenkamm is not considered risk-free , the speed lover's mission should not be underestimated. But because the MS Mondraker team boss really enjoys such challenges, he approached the project optimistically. After all, even before the advent of fat bikes, he gained a lot of biking experience in the snow! And it was worth it: Overwhelmed by the wild ride on the hardest ski run in the world and happy to have mastered this challenge, Max Stöckl grinned:
“ When you are allowed to ride your bike on a slope like this, it is a special honor that I treated with the necessary respect in order not to destroy the work that the ski club had done and to clear away 100 meters of fence. The well-known key spots were also tough for me, where I had to fight hard to get the goals. The only thing that is different are the screws in the tires and I had a fender made. For me, mountain biking on downhill bikes only works without special parts. “ – Max Stöckl on the Streif Statement
As a professional athlete, the Kitzbüheler does not dare to set world records and hussar rides like the one on the Streif. His main job is running the Mondraker mountain bike racing team, and you can also see Max Stöckl going full throttle on the Streif – at least for this project. The Tyrolean remains true to his credo of only riding standard mountain bikes. In addition to 15 mm long spikes and a carbon mudguard, normal equipment including bike clothes was used.
In 2016, Stöckl set the speed record on the Summum :
Tip: For your fun in the snow: Fatbike tours in Livigno .
The entire press release about Max Stöckl on the Streif :
“In the hunt for speed records, downhill mountain biker Max Stöckl plunged over mountains and steep slopes in the most remote regions of the world. The search for perfect slopes for his passion ultimately led the Kitzbühel native back home to his local mountain. The Austrian did not take on a new speed record, but the hardest ski descent in the world on two wheels just a few days before the 78th Hahnenkamm Race. Max Stöckl was the first person on a mountain bike to shoot over the legendary Streif on snow, freshly prepared for the bravest athletes in the Alpine Ski World Cup.
World record holder returns to the local mountain. Max Stöckl from Oberndorf near Kitzbühel has been racing over the steepest slopes around the globe for more than 20 years. The downhill mountain biker broke the world speed record in 2007 at over 210 km/h in the snow of the Chilean Andes . The Tyrolean also holds the record on gravel roads. At the end of 2016, he accelerated to 167.6 km/h on a standard mountain bike in the Atacama Desert. It's not just speed or records that drive the 43-year-old. It has to be a unique challenge and above all: “It has to be really fun!” The Tyrolean has the perfect mountain and the perfect route - for his standards - right on his doorstep: the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbühel.
First downhill biker on the Streif in winter
Every year in January, the toughest race track in the Alpine Ski World Cup takes place in the Tyrolean mountains. As soon as the Streif is prepared for one of Austria's sports highlights, you need crampons to stay on it on foot. Only really good skiers have a chance with two boards. Only the best downhill skiers in the world plunge 860 meters into the depths on this 3.3 kilometer long hellish ride . Top speeds of up to 140 km/h are measured at the finish line; the Austrian Fritz Strobl has held the course record since 1997 with 1:51.58 minutes. Never before has an athlete conquered the Streif on a mountain bike in winter . Before stars like Max Franz, Matthias Mayer, Hannes Reichelt, the Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal or last year's winner Dominik Paris from South Tyrol attacked Max Stöckl's local mountain on Saturday, he was the first person to challenge this merciless race track on two wheels.
Three minute long hell ride
A few days before the 78th Hahnenkamm Race, the Kitzbühel native jumped into the saddle from the start house of the most prestigious route in the World Cup circuit. Immediately after the start, the steepest section - the infamous mousetrap - accelerates ski racers to over 110 km/h with a gradient of 85 percent in a very short time. Max Stöckl maneuvered his bike over the icy slope with artistic moves and rapid speed. After tricky passages with descriptive names such as steep slope, projectile, larch shot or local mountain edge, the local hero powered over the finish line with the last of his strength and a whopping top speed of 103.64 km/h! It wasn't enough for Fritz Strobl's course record, but the time of 3:06 minutes amazed even the hardened former World Cup athlete: "Since I already have a lot of respect for the Streif with skis , the question of whether I would ever do that on a mountain bike!”
Photos: Philip Platzer, Red Bull Content Pool / Red Bull Media House
