2023-09-07 19:13:54
Sebastian Schönberger won the opening race of the Cyclodome cycling event. Felix Gall also raved regarding the fantastic old town scenery.
The two-day Cyclodome event in Salzburg’s old town was opened on Thursday with the spectacular racing bike criterion. Victory was secured in a dramatic race by Sebastian Schönberger, who lost out on Tour de France stage winner Felix Gall in the final meters.
Before the elite riders whizzed around the cathedral in less than a minute and made a loop across the Residenzplatz, the route first belonged to the youngsters, then to celebrities from sports and politics, who pedaled at a leisurely pace in traditional costume for a good cause kicked.
The elite female riders then showed how fast and with which inclines the 650 meter long circuit can actually be completed. After 60 high-speed laps with intermediate sprints to collect prizes, Jana Gigele (ARBÖ Knittelfeld) came out ahead of Veronika Windisch (Cookina Graz) from Graz.
The men were a bit faster and 20 laps longer. Here, too, the decision was only made a few meters before crossing the finish line. Sebastian Schönberger passed Felix Gall in the penultimate corner and mightn’t be caught. “It was just a great race in front of a great backdrop,” said the overjoyed winner and revealed his winning tactics. “In a race like this, it’s important that you’re always up front. The great atmosphere made that easy for me too.”
A serious training accident threw the 29-year-old from Upper Austria off course last year and cost him his professional contract. That’s why he started for the US racing team Human Powered Health at the criterion in Salzburg’s old town. “The victory is all the better because I’m actually half from Salzburg, because this is where I have my training ground,” reveals Schönberger.
Felix Gall congratulated the winner and the organizers: “This is really a great backdrop. We drove through the Louvre on the last stage of the Tour de France. It was absolutely comparable with that.” The event continues on Friday with the mountain bike eliminator.
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