One hundred teams from more than fifteen nations will come to Lienz, Austria for the grueling Dolomitenmann team match relay, on Sep. 7th, 2002. Lienz is situated in the midst of Austria’s East Tyrol in the majestically beautiful Dolomite Mountains that border Italy. Every team consists of four iron-tough members: an uphill runner; a paraglider; a white water kayaker, and a mountain biker.
It all starts with an incredible ascent by the team’s runner, gaining more than 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) in altitude. "It’s a mixture of fear, adrenalin and concentration when the start is only a few seconds away" said Christian Hoffmann, past Dolomitenmann titlist and 2002 Winter Olympics 30 km. cross-country skiing silver medalist.
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After the uphill run, the team’s paraglider runs with his pack on a short, difficult track to a jump-off point in the middle of the Dolomites. After descending by air to Moosalm, the paraglider runs to his second jump-off point, descending to Leisach.
Next, the team’s kayaker has to swim across the river Drau, scramble for his boat, and do an "alpine-start." Sitting in his boat, he must jump down a 6-meter-high (20 feet) ramp to the river. "Its pure fear", said Schorschi Schauf, a kayaker who has already conquered the Rheinfall waterfalls. After the jump, the kayaker must navigate a difficult white water track on the river Isel before putting in on the bank to release his last teammate.
Finally, the team’s mountain biker takes off on the last leg of the relay. Climbing 2,500 meters (8,000 feet) in less than 12 kilometres is challenging for even the world’s most fit cyclists, but the adventure does not stop there. After the climb, the mountain biker must take the H2000 downhill track, a former World Cup downhill racecourse!
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Werner Grissmann, former World Cup skier, is organizing the "toughest team match in the world" for the 15th time. He promises that this year’s event will be the greatest spectacle ever, with a new course and increased up-close television coverage. Teams that want to win this event will need to complete the course in about four hours. "We know it’s a really tough race, but you know the motto: this race is only for the toughest guys under the sun." The teams will fight for honour, victory and prize money totalling 15,000 Euros. The fastest competitor in every discipline will receive an original Jos Pirkner Trophy and the desirable title, Dolomitenmann.
Teams can register until August 30th, 2002 at www.dolomitenmann.com, the official event web site. Since the race is limited to 100 teams, interested parties are asked to register as soon as possible. Individuals searching for placement on a team are also invited to do so on the above web site.
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| Schedule: Friday, 6th of September, 2002: 6 p.m. Briefing For All Teams 7 p.m. Red Bull Spaghetti Party 8 p.m. Red Bull Night (Open Air, Free entrance)Saturday, 7th of September, 2002: 10 a.m. Start: 15th Red Bull Dolomitenmann 2 p.m. Expected Finish of Winning Team 7 p.m. Victory Ceremony, Lienz Main Square 8 p.m. Open Air Concert (Free Entrance) |
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Stefan Mayr
Red Bull Dolomitenmann
www.dolomitenmann.com