Olympic mountain biker

Foidl chases his “runaway” over hill and dale

Max Foidl in his element with his mountain bike

(Bild: STARONPHOTO)

The mountain bike trails of this world are his home: Max Foidl wants to surprise at the Olympic Games in Paris. But to do so, man and material have to be pushed to the absolute limit. 

His sport is not for the faint-hearted: on July 29, mountain biker Max Foidl will join 35 other riders in a heated wheel-to-wheel battle over hill and dale for three Olympic medals in the cross-country competition. 

In the one-and-a-half hour races, both man and machine are pushed to their limits: "One riding mistake and you can catch a bruise right away," says Foidl, who has been riding his mountain bike since he was a child. Initially in Tyrol, but for the last nine years in Graz.

From Graz around the world
"Here in Mariatrost, I have thousands of meters of altitude right on my doorstep, that's all there is in Tyrol," explains the "Styrian with a passion", who once came to the provincial capital to study, but has had his professional KTM contract in his pocket for many years.

Profile

• Sport: Mountain bike (cross-country)
  Born: October 8, 1995
  Racing team: KTM Factory MTB Team
• Greatest successes:
  Olympics: 17th place in Tokyo 2021
  World Championships: 23rd place in Lenzerheide 2018
  European Championships : 10th place at Monte Tamaro 2020
  World Cup : 10th and 12th in Araxa 2024
  National championship: 4x Austrian champion

which takes him around the globe in the World Cup and other international races. Like in Rio de Janeiro in the spring, where he achieved his best results with 12th and 10th place, laying the foundation for his Paris nomination. "I showed then that I can do it! The good feeling from back then is not quite back yet," admits the 28-year-old.

Familiar course
But Foidl hopes with a smile: "The runaway to the top can come in Paris." He is already familiar with the course there, having finished 14th in last year's test event. "It's a new course with lots of gravel and built jumps. The course is extremely fast, so the race should be exciting because the field doesn't spread out so much."

The mountain bikers are based in Elancourt, which is around 30 kilometers from the center of Paris. "Unfortunately, that means I won't see the Olympic Village again!" Because at his debut under the "five rings" in Tokyo three years ago, Foidl was accommodated far away from the athletes of the other sports. "Maybe that will work out next time. I'm 28 years old now, the top riders are usually up to 38. There are still two more games in it."