On December 8th and 9th the ARBÖ RC Pernitz organised two races within the ÖRV-ZMS-cross-country-cup 2018/19.
On saturday chase-teamrider Manfred proved that he is one of the best local crossers this season.
From the beginning he was at the top together with street professional Andi Hofer, from the half of the race on he took the lead alone and didn’t let it be taken anymore. He celebrated his 7th victory in the current cross-country season. Felix Ritzinger won the 4th place in his first race of the season.
During the night it rained heavily and so the track turned into an extremely demanding circuit for the second race on sunday. Soon after the start a leading group consisting of Manfred Zöger, Robert Gehbauer, Felix Ritzinger and Philipp Heigl formed. The lead changed several times and the race remained extremely exciting until the very end. Philipp Heigl won the race, but Felix Ritzinger and Manfred Zöger were very close behind, Robert Gehbauer got the 4th place. Chase’s technical director Felix Schneider also took part in the race and occupied the remarkable 21st place in the national starting field.
A few days ago, on June 26th and 27th, the 24h cycling race took place at the Slovakia ring.
CHASE was represented by two teams with four men each, CHASE me and CHASE up. A racing bike was provided by the company KTM. In addition to the 4-person combination, the race could also be completed individually, in doubles, as a 6-person or 8-person mixed Team or as a pure women’s team.
Despite the heat the CHASE me team had a top performance, with an average speed of 42,4 km/h and after 970,9 km they achieved an excellent second place. The result of CHASE up was also impressive, they won the 5th place.
/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/handcrafted-01-vergrößert-280x300.png00Caro/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/handcrafted-01-vergrößert-280x300.pngCaro2019-07-02 10:54:452019-07-02 10:54:47Team CHASE at the Slovakia Ring 24h race
Ternitz in the Neunkirchen district was the venue for two exciting racing days in the cross-country sport on the 20th and 21st October of 2018.
Chase-driver Manfred once again showed his current top form. At the race on Saturday, he got his third victory in a row after a thrilling fight. Two laps to go, he already had a small advantage over his pursuers, but then he had a self-inflicted slip-up in a corner.
Although he was back on the bike quickly, his advantage was ruined. Thus, the race was completely open again and there was a three-men leading group in the last round. But Manfred once again proved to be the currently strongest driver in austria. With an attack he managed to shake off his rivals and successfully drove through the finish line as winner!
At the international C2 race on sunday he unfortunately had bad luck right at the beginning. At the start, a competitor got into his front wheel which caused one of the spokes to break. Manfred was one of the last to get back on track. Although he managed a good catch-up he was nowhere near the top places that day. The winner was the belgian Braam Merlier, after him came the czech Paprstka and another belgian. Manfred got the 17th place in the international field as the second-best austrian.
On the 26th and 27th October of 2018 two races of the ÖRV-ZMS-Cross-Country-Cup took place in Trieben, Styria. On the national holiday, the first day of the race, the weather was beautiful and the temperatures were pleasant.
On the flat circuit a fast race developed and for a long time there was a large leading group at the top. Due to the rather easy circuit no driver could get the lead alone.
In the second to last round Chase-teammember Manfred attacked and was able to split the six-men leading group decisively. Only the carinthian Robert Gehbauer managed to follow Manfred for a long time. During another try in the last round he could not keep up and Manfred drove to his fourth win in the current cross-country season.
Overnight, a change in the weather created completely new conditions for the second day of the race. The course turned into a slide due to the rain and cool temperatures of only 5°C combined with heavy rainfall caused very difficult conditions. Manfred sadly did not get to “operating temperature” that day.
For a long time he drove in a larger group but in the end he had the least reserves left and had to settle for 6th place. Given his great achievements in the past weeks this place almost seems a bit disappointing. But for Manfred it was always clear that his winning streak cannot last forever, since the other athletes are also in very good shape. Even the 6th place is still a considerable achievement in the quite large national driver field.
On the 3rd and 4th of November, 2018 the MTB-Club Lockenhaus once again organised a cross-country double event following the successful premiere of last year. The first day of the race awaited the participants with a muddy, slippery and therefore extremely demanding route. Chase-teammember Manfred didn’t have any problems with these conditions, since he is an excellent driver.
At the beginning Zsolt Bür from Hungary was able to keep up at the front, but even before the half of the race was over Manfred slowly but unstoppably got to the top. After an hour of racing he had almost a minute ahead of the reigning hungarian champion, the third place went to Gerald Hauer with another minute behind.
The second day of the race the weather was much better. The track had already dried up in the morning and until the start of the main race even the sun came through the fog. This made the circuit a lot easier to drive. The competition itself did not get easier. There were over 50 participants, drivers from a total of five nations were standing at the starting line.
Manfred had a great start and immediately took the lead. With a quick first round he tried from the beginning to force the competitors onto the defensive. This tactic seemed to work, after the first round he was already 10 seconds ahead. In the second round, however, the young Moran Vermeulen from the Tyrol Cycling Team managed to close the gap. Together, the two completed the next round as the lead. Additional tension was given to this duel, as it was not only the day’s victory, but also the overall lead in the ÖRV-ZMS-Cup. In the fourth of the eight laps the exciting bike-to-bike duel was over again. Vermeulen made a minor mistake and his rival took advantage of the opportunity.
Manfred, who cycled from Kirschlag to the racetrack that day as a warm-up program, continued to build up his lead from round to round, winning again at the end. Vermeulen took second place, Carinthia’s former junior-world-champion Robert Gehbauer won the third place.
On the 15th & 16th December 2018, the last austrian cross-country races took place before christmas. On Saturday the SK Voest organised a race at the Oedtsee. Chase-teammember Manfred did not get off to a good start in wintry conditions and light snow on the ground. After the bad start he had to fight hard to get to the top. However, he succeded and from this point he was fully back in the race for victory. The initially large leading group was continuously getting smaller. Three laps to go, there were still three men battling for victory. In the end, Manfred was narrowly beaten but with rank two he got the next podium place!
Just a day later, the international C2 World Ranking Race was on the program at the horse center Stadl-Paura. Manfred’s goal was to be among the top 10. For such a rank in the high-profile international starter field everything has to fit together. Unfortunately that was not the case for Manfred that day. He never really got into his rythm and had to settle for the 16th place with some disappointment.
/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/handcrafted-01-vergrößert-280x300.png00Manfred Zöger/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/handcrafted-01-vergrößert-280x300.pngManfred Zöger2019-07-01 12:55:132019-07-01 13:17:06Cross-country in Traun and Stadl-Paura
At the last austrian race in the calendar year 2018, the two Chase-teammembers Felix Ritzinger and Manfred Zöger ensured a double victory with the Chase mud bikes.
Manfred took over the command right after the start and led the field of riders in the long climb. Behind him, Felix came quickly to the front and at the end of the first lap the two were already ranked 1st and 2nd. This constellation remained throughout the whole race. Felix drove consistent lap times, Manfred was always just a few seconds behind on 2nd place. The rest of the drivers followed within a considerable distance. Therefore, it was a very successful end of the year with two podium places!
/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/handcrafted-01-vergrößert-280x300.png00Manfred Zöger/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/handcrafted-01-vergrößert-280x300.pngManfred Zöger2019-07-01 12:26:092019-07-01 12:29:02Double victory for Chase in Schwarzenbach
The area around the “Seedose” in St. Pölten has been the site of the traditional 3-Könixcross-cross country race for many years.
The competition was also the first official race in the new calendar year. Chase team member Manfred got off to a good start and took the lead from the beginning along with Philipp Heigl. During the race the lead switched several times between the two athletes. On and on, the two set themselves apart from the other pursuers. Approximately at the half of the race Manfred had a small lead, but the few seconds were quickly closed again and so the duo was once again on the road together. The preliminary decision fell only in the second to last round. Manfred changed his bike and at the same time Heigl attacked. That small gap was enough to decide the race. Heigl won the race after 60 minutes, Manfred ranked second. Thus, the new year starts very successfully and exactly as the old one has ended – with a second place!
A “Bucket-List” is a freely expandable leisure-ToDo list. For ambitious racing cyclists it usually includes the world-famous climbs such as the Stelvio Pass, Alp d’Huez or the Col du Galibier. To be a real challenge the Monte Zoncolan in Italy or the Alto de Angliru in Spain , they are among the toughest in Europe, extend the “once in a lifetime” drives. But all these asphalt passes reach a maximun height of 2500m above sea level. Considering other countries that are excellent for bike-driving, one reads of monumental climbs that have to overcome well over 3000 vertical meters.
On Taiwan’s east coast, at the Taiwan KOM Challenge, the participants are expecting such a mega climb.
The key data to get from the sea level to the Wuling Pass level is:
– length: 84km
– altitude difference: 3485m (pass height: 3275m)
– ramps with 12-27% incline
– a 10km long finale with an average incline of
10%
This data is hard to imagine at first glance, but after more than 250 elevations over 3000 meters, it becomes easily comprehensible. The Wuling Pass is Taiwan’s highest road.
For such an exposure only the lightest material comes into question. All possibilities to reduce weight on the body, clothing, bike and wheels are exploited.
The race starts at 6 a.m. at the pacific coast on the outskirts of Hualein with an 18km long neutralized phase. The temperatures during the day are at a pleasant 25°C, only slightly higher than at night. In the second row, behind active and retired professionals like Laurens Ten Dam and Emma Pooley, Felix went into the race very well positioned. The sun slowly rose over the horizon, there was only a little nervousness in the peloton.
Unitl the 18th kilometer the atmosphere was enjoyed, after the bridge over the river Shilin the starting signal sounded. The tactic for the first part of the race, over the short ramps and slight uphill sections was: Sticking to it as long as it’s possible and makes sense. At the top, as it was estimated, a high but irregular pace was set. The stepped waves into the Taroko Gorge temporarily required 400 watts to maintain contact with the first group. At 38 kilometers I decided to set my own pace and for a while I drove along with a smaller group. The group with two experienced locals set a time of four hours.
From the breathtaking gorge with it’s hundred meter-high cliffs the narrow road winds its way into the open, sunny terrain and offers sensational views over the valley. The watt-values fluctuate between 250 to 270 watts and the temperatures are still rising. The turns of the serpentines are constantly climbing and soon there are already 2000 meters of altitude on the Garmin.
The tropical vegetation at the start of the race is increasingly giving way to conifers up to the long-awaited tunnel that initiates the short descent to the Guanyuan gas station. A more than welcome change, because after the refreshment station, according to many statements, the “second race” starts. There are another 15 kilometers to the finish line and the inclination continues to increase. Meanwhile the temperature has dropped to 15°C with strong sunshine and constant wind. The protection of the trees is decreasing. The remaining 10 kilometers have a constand inclination of 10% and where the air is already really thin there’s an 800 meters long trial with 27%. Even with a mountain-fit ratio of 34-32 the cadence is dropping sharply, the risk of cramping or even having to push the bike is high. Due to the conservative pacing in the middle part Felix still had reserves available that reached up to a short flat piece just before the finish line. With the pass height in mind, the last kilometer becomes an almost never ending ordeal. The saddle hurts and the breathing is rushed but the euphoria and ambition continue to turn the crank and wheels.
From turning into the Taroko Gorge to the finish line at 3275 meters, 4 hours and 35 minutes passed with a normalized power of 251 watts. In the international comparison with a high power density Felix was able to rank at place 109 out of 576 participants. The results are here.
Völkermarkt and Diex were this year’s venues for the Austrian Mountain National Championship in road cycling. Nearly 100 starters started at the main square of Völkermarkt on August 18th to determine the fastest climber in the country. After 3.5 laps or approx. 60 kilometres around Völkermarkt the final 9-kilometreclimb up to Diex follows. The initial phase of the race was marked by several attacks, but no rider was able to distance himself decisively. Thus, the elite field entered the final climb almost closed. The ascent to Diex has an average gradient of 8%, but mainly includes steeper passages at the beginning and end.
At the foot of the mountain, the pace was immediately picked up at the top and the field broke up into several groups. Chase team rider Manfred managed to stay just behind the leading group and drove a strong race. He completed the climb in about 25′ and was able to catch up another group of drivers shortly before the finish. With the Chase-Up wheels and the Chase seat post he also had optimal material at his disposal to bring his bike as close as possible to the regulated 6.8 kg minimum weight. In the Austrian Championship scoring Manfred just missed the top 10 and finished with a strong 11th place!
