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For many weeks, filmmaker Alban Egger accompanied the Tirol KTM Cycling Team in its 2019 season. The result is this wonderful documentary that tells the story of our team in around 27 minutes. In spring 2020, the film was shown a good twenty times on ORF Sport Plus. For Patrick Gamper, Georg Zimmermann and Nicolas Dalla Valle, the three protagonists of the film, the 2019 season was the successful springboard to the big boys in professional cycling. Gamper got a contract with BORA hansgrohe, Zimmermann switched to CCC, which has now become Team Wanty Gobert, and Dalla Valle signed with Bardiani. Above all, Gamper and Zimmermann were able to more than fulfill the hopes and expectations of their talents in the short but intense season at the Grand Tours as well: Gamper provided valuable assistance to his team at the Giro d`Italia before a serious fall forced him to give up. And Zimmermann convinced at the Vuelta Espana with his striking driving style and finished it as one of the best young professionals in Madrid with flying colors. Prepare an espresso, open a bottle of beer or enjoy a glass of wine and give us 27 minutes of your cyclist hearts. We wish you a good time.

The successful World Cycling Championships InnsbruckTirol 2018 will probably find its worthy place in the annals of Austrian sports books as one of the most beautiful major events.  But unfortunately we have not used the positive energy of this World Cup enough to turn the bike more politically in Austria in three crucial areas: Firstly, expanding our infrastructure for everyday bicycle mobility, here Austria moves at best within the European average. Second, a strong commitment to the subject of bicycles on all levels, which unfortunately is completely lacking. And thirdly, to throw a bigger spotlight on cycling, which is completely wrongly still in the deep shadow of football and skiing. And now? The wrecking ball will now also be given the wrecking ball towards the end of the year to mark its 45th anniversary in the traditional Dusika Stadium. Replacement? None at the moment! Because in the newly planned “Sportarena Wien”, which will be built on the current site of the Dusika stadium, there is no longer any space for a velodrome.  Just imagine the following: The only training and competition venues for football or ski sports of Austria-wide relevance are being honed by politicians without an offer of up-to-date alternatives. Imaginable? Just.  But this disappointing message can be sent to the addresses of the many Austrian cyclists who have established themselves in the top of the world on the road and on mountain bikes in recent years and who have also celebrated great success on the track. For example, the young Viennese Tim Waffler, Stefan Kovar and Paul Buschek are currently among the best in their age groups on the international railways. Buschek (in the photo in the jersey of the Austrian national team) even leads the UCI world rankings 2020 in the Omnium competition. The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris are a big goal, and they regularly train at the Dusika Stadium. Where should they, and many others with them, do that in the future?

A sport-political signal of a lack of respect. And also from a lot of ignorance about the necessary needs of cycling and about the meaningful raison d’être of a cycling stadium: Firstly, every successful cycling nation uses the “track” as an important space for solid basic cycling training. Second, a covered cycling center would offer many opportunities to introduce children and young people to the many different cycling disciplines in a playful way. Thirdly, driving in a circle and counterclockwise is now also popular with many amateur and recreational athletes. And fourth, yes, competitions, international and national, can also be held there.  In two letters, to the Mayor of Vienna and to the Minister of Sport, we expressed our protest at this carelessness.  Conclusion: A fatal sign for Austrian cycling and therefore also a sport-political issue of nationwide relevance. All the more, positive perspectives and intelligent solutions are required NOW, which after the grinding of the Dusika stadium ensure a seamless transition to training and competition for cycling and open up more extensive possibilities.

Our Ziga “World`s Best Swanny” Slak is switching to the WorldTour at BORA hansgrohe as a physio and will basically do nothing there other than the many years with us: looking after his new team at world class level with a lot of service “with passion”. With this change, not only our young riders but also our supervisors are highly valued by the top of international cycling. And of course we are very proud of that. Ziga, you were a masseur, cook, sports director, comforter and much more and your very special qualities were then revealed in the many loving details that we were able to enjoy all the time: your delicious rice cake, the wonderful wraps, the motivating sayings on the silver coins, the packed lunches for the supervisors, your humor, your irony … In short: You are “The World’s Best Swanny! And a dear friend. Dear Ziga, we are very happy with you that you have now reached the highest level of cycling, where you belong.

Thank you, goodbye and: Rock the WorldTour!

Your Tirol KTM Cycling Team

The artistic all-rounder Andre Heller put it in a nutshell: “The real adventures are in the head, and if they are not in the head, then they are nowhere!” The most beautiful key to these adventures: books. And for all ciclistas in particular: books about cycling and more. Thanks to our nice cooperation with Covadonga, THE publisher for cycling literature, our shop and our HUB in Innsbruck are filled with the best reading copies. For the big cycling adventures in your head. Just recently arrived: “Socrates on the racing bike” by Guillaume Martin. Martin is one of the best racing cyclists in the world: at the Vuelta 2020 he won the mountain jersey, the Tour de France 2019 and 2020 he finished 12th and 11th. The Tour of Austria also knows him: in 2016 he finished second in the overall standings . But Martin is also a philosopher. A combination that amazes many. In order to dispel the prejudice that athletes have nothing on their minds, the French professional cyclist has written a book that combines his two great passions. In “Socrates on a racing bike” he sends the greatest thinkers in human history to the world’s greatest cycling race: the Tour de France. Worth reading!

Good carbohydrates, high quality proteins, healthy fats, important vitamins and minerals. A varied and high-quality diet, with regional and organic products, is essential for a conscious lifestyle. It has a positive effect on performance and well-being. Of course also for cyclists, who can burn up to 8,000 calories on difficult stages. Satisfy hunger, yes. Fill your stomach, yes. But charging the empty memory is about more than that: A balanced, nutritious and tasty pleasure. Because eating is also an all-sensory experience, for the eyes, for the nose and for the palate. Jacques Horn, our Scottish mechanic who worked for Dimension Data, made this delicious sandwich. As a small snack or as a snack after training. He will be happy to tell you how to prepare it:

1. Cut rye bread into slices.
2. Brush generously with cream cheese.
3. Season with black pepper from the mill and a pinch of coarse salt.
4. A layer of diced baby tomatoes and strips of green and red peppers.
5. Two slices of egg white, i.e. turkey, pork or beef ham.
6. Plenty of lettuce, to round off and for the eye.

Meal and get it!

 

Now it’s rolling perfectly. Because from now on, Wahoo supports the entire team with its intelligent fitness products: Wahoo Kickr, the interactive roller trainer with direct drive and the realistic driving experience. Elemnt Rival, the watch for seamless multisport training. And finally for all data and for orientation on the cockpit, the Elemnt bike computer. Chapeau and thank you, Wahoo!

We have never had to wait that long for the first race. We are all the more looking forward to the coming Sunday, March 21st, 2021, with the traditional start of the cycling Bundesliga in Leonding. There will be two premieres:

1. Our new riders Paul Buschek, Matevz Govekar, Stefan Koffer, Logan Mclain, Kevin Rosola and Emanuel Zangerle are making their debut in the Tirol KTM Cycling Team.
2. Our new racing machines are also making their first long-awaited racing use.

This year we will use two different frame sets from KTM. The majority of the team drives the extremely light Relevator Alto Exonic with the mega-chic fire orange paint, the sprinters and classic types rely on the aerodynamic Revelator Lisse frame in elegant, timeless black. Both models are equipped with ultra-fast and light carbon wheels from DT Swiss, smooth and puncture-proof tires from Schwalbe and components from SRAM.

By the way: You can buy both models from us in the HUB. And with every purchase you support the goals of our young riders.

Ice cold temperatures around freezing point. Light snow. And yet yesterday’s season opener at the traditional opening race in Leonding (Upper Austria) warmed the mood in the Tirol KTM Cycling Team, which, with an average age of 19, is once again the youngest elite team in the Bundesliga. Logan Mclain initiated the decisive escape group of the day: 11 drivers, from practically all teams, and also with Florian Lipowitz. Lipowitz then once again left his great talent in the two rounds of shooting over the short but crisp Aichberg and was strong fifth in the sprint of the strongly decimated escape group. With this placement he is also the first leader in the U23 classification.

It’s that time again on September 12, 2021. And with this link www.gravelinnsbruck.com you can register now. What we noticed very positively in 2020: More and more women, more and more Austrian and international audiences and more and more gravel bikes, from steel to aluminum to carbon. Very nice. Let’s keep it up, please. At this point, thank you again to all participants and to all of our partners. The outlook for September 2021: again three days dedicated to the bike, again with interesting events and guests and again with a spectacular route. We are looking forward to you.

If you are allowed to ride a beautiful bike like the new Revelator Alto in fire orange as a team, then all other details and equipment have to be adjusted accordingly. Very important here: the bottle holder, which has to elegantly manage the balancing act between two apparent incompatibilities, namely on the one hand to hold the bottle well and on the other hand to be able to remove it again easily. The new ultra-light Pure from SKS in full carbon manages this exercise perfectly and also impresses with its matt black glossy stealth design. Speaking of SKS. The leading manufacturer of bike accessories and high-quality mini, frame and floor pumps, the racing compressor is an absolute cult product, and a 100-year and successful history has supported the team with its products for years. Now also with a small, intelligent helper: a digital measuring device for the correct tire pressure.

They always gave bicycles that certain something: brand logos as artistically forged badges, placed on the front of the head tube. We have revived this wonderful, but unfortunately lost tradition in a small series. Graphically, like all fine Ride with passion companions, ingeniously implemented by Charlie Zimmermann and his team, and beautifully crafted by the Pichl company in Inzing, in the Tyrolean Oberland, the specialist company for medals and trophies. Martin Pichl: “This project gave us a lot of pleasure, as we also embossed and then printed 200,000 high-gloss aluminum head tube badges for KTM in the 1990s. Unfortunately, over the years this beautiful refinement of bicycles was no longer in demand. We are all the more pleased about the implementation of these labels for Ride with passion ”. Martin Pichl explains the four production steps for the Ride with passion sign:

1. We engrave a die made of tool steel on a CNC machine.
2. Then we emboss the plaques from brass with a pressure of a good 350 tons.
3. Then we silver-plated the labels and then let them age artificially with oxide stain, so that the motif also comes into its own.
4. And finally the badges are arched so that they can nestle around the head tube.

By the way: If you want to refine your bike with our timeless (life) statement and also support the team with a small donation, please send us an email to: office@ridewithpassion.tirol

Mission “Tour of the Alps” accomplished! And the conclusion is more than just good:

Felix Engelhard, 20, goes home with the red jersey for the best in the sprint classification. Florian Lipowitz, 20, was in the midst of the world class, took an excellent 18th place in the overall standings and finished third in the U25 junior category on the podium. Georg Steinauser, 19, put in a great talent test several times, came 10th in the junior ranking and was one of the big protagonists of the escape group on the final stage. Emanuel Zangerle, 20, the ex-mountain biker, fought bravely to the end on his first tour, and then also in a world-class team. Matevz Govekar, 21, also comes from a mountain bike, has also done his first tour and is actually a sprinter. Great fighter until the finals. Kevin Rosola Pezzo, 18 years old !, showed what great potential and talent lies dormant in him. Logan Mclain, 19 years old, the US rough diamond, went into the third stage highly motivated. A crash at the beginning of the race unfortunately forced him to give up. Thanks also to all of our staff for the excellent work.

And to make it clear again how the performance of the Tirol KTM team can be assessed: We were the only CT – U23 team, with many lateral entrants and very young riders. We only had three to four races in preparation. And we had the smallest budget by a huge margin in this field. But: With a lot of heart and soul a lot is possible, true to our philosophy: Ride with passion.  Tomorrow, Sunday, we will continue with the traditional Kirschblütenrennen in Wels. On Saturday, May 1st, the Rad-Bundesliga in Nenzing / Vorarlberg, Thomas Kofler organized a top-class race here, and on May 9th we will be at the start in Belgium, at the Fleche Ardennaise.

What a wonderful spring day it is today. Summer temperatures and the cherry trees begin to bloom. In keeping with this and nomen est omen, the traditional Kirschblütenrennen started today at 9:00 a.m. in Wels. And this race was the culmination of a more than successful week for the Tirol KTM Cycling Team: Matevz Govekar won the sprint and Leslie Lührs came third. All in all, a strong team performance from the entire team.

Once a racing bike. Always racing bike. And that in all situations. The perfect fashion statement for your casual look is now available in our shop: Handmade belts made from the tires of our long-term sponsor Schwalbe. Our Italian designer Simone Ratteni is the designer and producer. With these exclusive belts he also proves his versatile talent: University degree in environmental technology, widely traveled, multilingual and just very art-loving.

Your can purchase it here

The 1st of May. Labor Day and a big holiday. Both of these things also applied to the Tirol KTM Cycling Team: A difficult race, with cheers at the end. But first things first: Thomas Kofler and his team turned the traditional Bundesliga race in Nenzing / Vorarlberg into a major international cycling event. In addition to all Austrian teams, the entire German elite at CT level, the strong development teams from Jumbo Visma and Education First as well as the teams from Leopard Trek, Mendrisio, Swiss Racing and Swiss Cycling accepted the invitation to the Ländle. Everyone fought for victory on the demanding 18-kilometer lap, which was driven nine times.

Conclusion for the Tirol KTM team: Florian Kierner managed to jump into an escape group right at the beginning, which dominated the race for a long time. Nice and pleasant detail on the side: He was in this group with his former colleagues from the Tirol Team, Markus Wildauer (now Team Vorarlberg) and Marco Friedrich (now Team Felbermayr Wels).  After the peloton had put the breakaway again, the young Tirol team was again strong as a team. Florian Lipowitz and Georg Steinhauser set the pace for sprinter Matevz Govekar in the first group of the heavily decimated main field (only 113 of the 196 drivers who started finished the race), who was able to look forward to second place at the finish. “Wedged” between the two Jumbo Visma drivers Mick van Dijke and Rick Pluimers.

And what does that mean for the intermediate result in the ÖRV cycling league? Matevz Govekar takes over the leadership jersey from Florian Lipowitz in the U23 classification. Tirol KTM was the best Austrian team in Nenzing and has now also taken first place in the team ranking.

Florian Gamper, Florian Lipowitz and Emanuel Zangerle completed a three-week altitude training in Kühtai. The popular winter sports resort at the gates of Innsbruck, at an altitude of 2,000 meters, is a popular training area for many professional teams: Jumbo Visma, DSM and the riders of the German BORA team are happy to prepare for the big tours here.

Gerlosberg in the Zillertal: 6 km. 600 meters in altitude. A race with a lot of tradition and at the same time also Tyrolean mountain championships. Florian Lipowitz, Emanuel Zangerle and Florian Gamper also used the event as a simulation for a longer race or a stage with a mountain finish and previously completed a four-hour training lap with an altitude of 2,000 meters. They arrived in Zell a few minutes before the start, quickly assembled the numbers and off we went. Conclusion: Lipowitz, based in Seefeld, won with a new course record of 21:58 seconds and was thus also crowned Tyrolean champion. A big thank you also to the ARBÖ Raiffeisen Radteam Zillertal that the club carried out the race in these difficult and challenging times. Chapeau!

Our riders were active in various races over the weekend:

1. Georg Steinhauser wins the prelude to the German cycling league ahead of German U23 champion Kim Heiduk and is the first overall leader.
2. Florian Kierner and Florian Gamper (both AUT), Florian Lipowitz (DEU) and Matevz Govekar (SLO) competed for their national teams in the Czech Republic at the traditional Course de la Paix for U23. Florian Lipowitz was very strong tenth in the GC, Flo Gamper convinced with an eighth place on the second stage.
3. Paul Buschek and Stefan Kovar also started the fast road race in Gössendorf according to the criterion. There was another sprint divorce in which Buschek finished fourth.

Austrian Championships Criterion in Graz / Gössendorf. Emanuel Zangerle crashed in the fastest corner of the 3.5 kilometer long circuit into the gang with Moran Vermeulen at high speed and was almost uninjured. Stefan Kovar was fifth and second in the U23 classification. We congratulate Valentin Götzinger on winning the championship. And a big chapeau to Reinhard Eisenbauer for the spectacular photos.