Place of birth: Vienna
Date of birth: 23.12.1996
living place: Vienna
Current task: Enjoy my leisure time.
Felix Ritzinger
Born in Vienna and raised in an urban surrounding, I was fascinated by bikes and their movements since I was little. At the age of seven, I discovered the mountainbike and since then, I can be found on all vehicles with two wheels. The fun of cycling turned into longing for victory. By hard work and training I reached many goals that I’ve aimed to – mostly very challenging ones. The two wheels meaning the world to me have accompanied my on wooden lains, countless kilometeres on the road and Mountainbike tracks from South Africa to Norway and from Andorra to China. So far, I took part in European and world championsships, as well as in the Youth Olympic Games 2014. Hopefully, further international competitions and experiences will follow.
Place of birth: Oberpullendorf
Date of birth: 22.05.1990
living place: Ungerbach, lower Austria
Current task: Master-Student at University of Applied Sciences, program ‘Sport and Exercise Sciences’
Manfred Zöger
Cycling is my passion
My name is Manfred and I’m from lower austria. As a child I spent my time on my parent’s farm where I discovered a lot and kept on moving all the time. That’s why I love being outdoors and above all doing sports in nature. I tried various sports, in winter I was skiing or ice skating and in summer playing soccer, skate boarding – and of course cycling.
When I was 11 I participated in my first competition, the mountainbike students’ tournament in my home town. I had a lot of fun – today it’s still the same. Success was absent – I was the last one to finish– but the fire for cycling was on. From there I was addicted and started mountainbiking quite often. First with my friends and later also alone. I enjoyed my time on my bike and in the nature.
I was looking for more challenging paths, increased track lengths and steeper trails.
After my first success I started in a regional team called MTB Team „Bucklige Welt“ and as a consequence I participated in some more races, followed by training schedules.
This contributed to my progress and I was able to win some more competitions. I got regional champion more than once, reached the podium in the austrian championship, won the Austria Youngstercup and got a qualification for world championship Mountainbike Cross Country and Marathon.
Since 2013 I’m studying sport science at University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt. It offers the chance to manage professional cycling and academic formation at once.
My emotions for cycling never changed since the beginning. If there is a scheduled training of several hours in winter, I’ll go for it no matter what conditions, if it’s cold, raining or even snowing. Why do I still do cycling? I’d say that it’s my passion.
Date of birth: 16.08.1987
living place: Mödling
Current task: Technischer Entwickler der Chase GmbH
My passion for cycling is based on the fascination of bicycles. The combination of elegance and efficiency, with the countless facets and possible combinations of components, makes my technician’s heart beat faster.
During my studies I was completely taken in by cycling fever and since then the x=n+1 formula applies to my collection of bikes. Racing bikes, time trial bikes, mountain bikes, cross-country bikes, track bikes and several city bikes are currently available. With each bike, the number of racing disciplines in which I start increases as well.
The athletic ambition, together with three good friends and an excellent support team, allowed me to win the Race Around Austria with a new track record in the 4-man team competition in 2014.
In the rest of the time, when I don’t work on our carbon parts, I try to enjoy as many areas of cycling with as many people as possible.
Place of birth: Mehrstetten
Date of birth: 08.11.1996
living place: Vienna
Current task: Chase Lead-user and passionate cyclist
Isabell Lange
My sporting career began with Nordic cross-country skiing. Through my dad I finally came to cycling, because together we did a lot of basic training on the bike for the coming cross-country skiing season. I quickly became passionate about mountain biking and soon I found myself on a starting line for a mountain bike race. But it’s a tough start and so it took until the end of my first season before my technical skills were good enough to win my first XCO races (Cross Country, the Olympic discipline of mountain biking). Among other things, I left the reigning German Vice Champion behind me and was then called into the national squad in my first year. In the following years I was able to gain countless beautiful experiences, make new friends, travel and trainings camps and celebrate personal successes on a national and international level. But I have also learned to cope with deep strokes, leave my comfort zone and always give 110%.
In 2014 my athletic career came to an abrupt and very painful end. Acute pelvic cavity thrombosis was diagnosed and treated. Two months in hospital, seven operations and 1.5 years of drug blood thinning were the result. My life was completely turned upside down overnight. Everything has changed. Everything except my passion for cycling.
Today I can do sports again, contrary to the expectations of my doctors. Most of the time I can pursue my passion with unbelievable gratitude, fun and passion. What’s more, my ambition has gripped me again. Together with my dad, I competed in the Transalp 2017 and finished on a good 10th place. I couldn’t have been happier at the finish, Lake Garda.
#thebestisyettocome
