The Red Bull X-Alps 2011 blasts off on Sunday 17 July at 11:30 European time.
It’s going to be another gruelling battle of 30 of the fittest para-athletes in the world. XC Mag will be reporting daily on the event and talking with the athletes on route.
The athletes are all now amassed in Salzburg preparing for the race to begin tomorrow at 09:00 on their 864km route to Monaco on the Mediterranean coast.
The route passes eight turnpoints and zig-zags the athletes across the Alps on a gruelling course.
2009 Red Bull X-Alps champion Chrigel Maurer (SUI1) is still looking a strong favourite for a second title with his supporter Thomas Theurillat saying success is about ‘Process, not product’. Chrigel and he will be focususing “on the process of the race, making the most of today, and just thinking a little about tomorrow.”
Chrigel Maurer’s position as favourite was further strengthened when double Red Bull X-Alps champion Alex Hofer withdraw from the race last month following a reserve deployment and crash.
Meanwhile normally the ‘King of the Road’ Romanian Running Man Toma Coconea (ROM) is his usual hyper-fit and confident self. Toma says he feels very different this year from 2009, when he blames stress back home for a lack of focus that saw him first deploy his rescue parachute then later get disqualified for infringing airspace.
The race starts tomorrow morning at 09:00 from the centre of Salzberg and the athletes’ progress can be followed through the live Red Bull X-Alps tracking system.
Who’s your money on to win the Red Bull X-Alps 2011? Let us know in the comments below.
Are you in Salzberg? What’s the atmosphere like?