Tyrol Promotes Itself As Number One Cycling Region In The Alps

With thousands of kilometers of racing bike, mountain bike and cycle routes and around 115 single trails, Tyrol is the number one cycling country in the Alps.

The highest pass road in Austria, the highest point that can be reached by racing bike or the steepest cycling mountain in the Alpine republic - in Tyrol, superlatives come to mind when it comes to cycling. With its 3,800 kilometers of excellently developed racing bike routes, around 6,400 kilometers of officially approved MTB routes, around 115 single trails and more than 1,000 kilometers of cycle paths, Tyrol rightly describes itself as the “number 1 cycling country in the Alps”. The longest connected mountain bike circuit in the Alps, the Bike Trail Tirol, measures an impressive 1,000 kilometers.

Biking in Kühtai © Oliver Soulas

Cycling World Championships as a push factor for cycling

The absolute highlight in 2018 was the UCI Road World Championships Innsbruck-Tirol , which put the whole country into cycling fever. 600,000 fans were there and 200 million in front of the screens as top athletes from 77 countries competed for the world championship at a perfectly organized event. In a racing bike thriller, the Spanish veteran Alejandro Valverde was crowned world champion on the most difficult World Championship track of all time. Tirol has been awarded the exclusive label " UCI Bike Region " through the successful World Cup and shares this title with cities and regions such as Copenhagen, Yorkhsire or Limburg.

The cycling world championship was a push factor for cycling in Tyrol. © Oliver Soulas

Ten world championship racing bike tours

Aside from top-class sport, Tyrol also offers great routes for racing cyclists. Beginners can choose from numerous tours in the valleys and build their stamina there. Ambitious drivers look for challenging mountain roads and are rewarded with views of the mountain world. The “ Great Rides ” - ten racing bike tours that have it all - are a good example of the many routes in Tyrol . They all have three things in common: lots of vertical meters, great views and rapid descents.

Crankworx in Innsbruck © shootandstyle.com

Top events in 2021

In April, the racing bike professionals ensure excitement on the Tour of the Alps , which leads from South Tyrol into Trentino via Innsbruck, Feichten im Kaunertal and Imst. The competition follows on from the "predecessor" Giro del Trentino and is used by professional cyclists as preparation for the Giro d'Italia. World-class freestyle action, on the other hand, is offered at the largest gravity mountain bike festival Crankworx , which will stop in Innsbruck for the fifth time in June.

Single trail in Sölden © Erwin Haiden / bikeboard

The 5 best single trails in Tyrol

One branch of cycling that is particularly booming in the Alps is downhill-oriented mountain biking. From year to year more officially approved single trails are being created in Tyrol . The Arzler Alm Trail, the Blindsee Trail, the Fleckalm Trail, the Leiterberg Trail and the Plamort Trail have even earned the title “Great Trail”. They are examples of around 115 single trails in Tyrol that make bikers dream of adventures on narrow paths.

Race for everyone
This year, ambitious racing bike amateurs are particularly looking forward to the Ötztal Cycle Marathon at the end of August 2021. At the KitzAlpBike Festival, which takes place at the end of June, the Brixental is all about mountain biking for a week. In addition, numerous other events for everyone across Tyrol will take place this summer, such as the Arlberg Giro, the Imster Cycle Marathon, the Dolomite Tour, the Kaunertaler Gletscherkaiser, or the Dreiländergiro. But that's not all, this summer the Transalp Tour, the Kitzbüheler Radmarathon, the Kufsteinerland Radmarathon, the Radweltpokal in St. Johann and the Rad-Marathon-Tannheimer Tal await all cycling enthusiasts. You get a little out of breath when you count the many cycling highlights.

E-mountain bike

E-mountain bikes are an exciting alternative to conventional mountain bikes, as the extra portion of energy makes long tours possible. There is no end in sight to the trend towards e-bikes, which is why the infrastructure in Tyrol is constantly being expanded. In many places you can rent an eMTB and more and more mountain huts there are ways to charge the batteries. E-mountain bikes also offer undreamt-of possibilities for hikers and climbers. If the way to the summit or the ascent to the wall is too far, e-mobility comes into play: First you get on your bike and then you walk to the summit.

Cycling in Tyrol

Leisure cyclists and families only have to overcome a few meters of altitude. Some of the most beautiful long-distance cycle paths in the Alps, such as the Drau and Inn cycle paths, run along the rivers and valleys in Tyrol . The Via Claudia Augusta with numerous Tyrolean inns right on the route is an insider tip for cyclists who are also looking for culinary enjoyment. The Tyrolean cycle paths for pleasure cyclists extend over a total of around 1,000 kilometers. Cyclist-friendly accommodations, rental stations for e-bikes, bike shuttles and a repair service round off the bike-specific offer.

Additional information:

• Information for racing cyclists : www.tirol.at/rennrad
• Information for mountain bikers: www.tirol.at/mountainbiken
• Information for pleasure cyclists: www.tirol.at/radfahren