X-Bike: Let’s go into the seventh round

It’s not particularly hot, but Dominik Zillner and his colleagues from the Maria Schmolln sports union were still sweating. At least until the weekend. The reason: Registrations for this year’s X-Bike by KTM only came in a few drops at first. But just over a week before the two-hour mountain bike race, things were looking up. Finally. “We were a bit nervous, but then more than 30 registrations came in within a short time. That calmed us down,” says Zillner. What makes him particularly happy is “that there are already 26 registrations for the e-bike race, which we are organizing for the first time this year. That definitely exceeded my expectations. And maybe there will be even more on Saturday.” This is possible because spontaneous participants can still register at the race site up to one hour before the respective start.

Kick hard

In addition to the registrations, there is something else that the organizers cannot influence: the weather. “That’s why I don’t look so closely anymore and just hope that it’ll be halfway right on Saturday,” says Zillner. A legitimate hope, as a look at the forecast shows. He and his colleagues have been struggling for weeks to ensure that the conditions are right regardless of the weather. “Our course bosses work every day on the circuit, make the safeguards and build the ski jump, which is already a tradition here. And the farmers whose land we are allowed to drive on during the race do the final mowing work. So everything is going according to plan”, explains Dominik Zillner.

Almost everything. Because the delivery of the ordered starter bags is delayed. “We’ll have to improvise a bit, but there’s always a way,” Schmollner is convinced. He and his colleagues from the organizing team also found a solution to combat their tension on race day. “We all meet between six and half past six in the morning, drink a beer together and then get to work. That has now become our ritual.”

Speaking of together: If you don’t quite have enough breath for a two-hour race or if you prefer to compete in the race with a partner: the X-Bike also has its own team ranking. A team consists of two drivers. Everyone gets a chip with the same number. Changing is done by touching the body in the transition zone near the start-finish area. Only one driver from the same team may be on the track at a time. A qualification (exact schedule in the info box at the end of the text) is offered on a shortened lap for the ranking in the starting grid. However, this is not mandatory for participation in the race.

The Schedule

The 7th X-Bike by KTM will take place in Maria Schmolln on Saturday, June 10th. The Schedule:

• 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.: Race number issue
• 10.30 a.m. to 11.45 a.m.: track inspection
• 12pm to 12.30pm: Qualification X-Bike by KTM (no qualification for e-bikes)
• 12.40 p.m.: Set up next to the EX-Bike start boxes
• 12.45 p.m.: Calling of the participants according to the starting list for the EX-Bike
• 12:55 p.m.: Driver briefing EX-Bike
• 1pm to 2pm: Run EX-Bike
• 2pm to 2.30pm: Route inspection X-Bike by KTM
• 2.30 p.m.: Set up next to the X-Bike start boxes
• 2.40 p.m.: Call for the result of the qualification
• 2:55 p.m.: driver briefing
• 3pm: Start Run X-Bike
• 6.30 p.m.: Award ceremony X-Bike and EX-Bike