Tour of Austria: Final spurt in Kühtai

The last stage of the 73rd Tour of Austria ends with a tough climb: with hundreds of kilometers in their legs, the riders have to conquer the stretch between Kufstein and Kühtai as quickly as possible.

If you've never had the opportunity to watch a bike race live: The seconds in which the riders pass by are totally worth the journey. I was able to experience the euphoric atmosphere among the spectators for the first time in 2018, when the Road Cycling World Championships took place in Innsbruck. Rather by chance, I ended up between the fans on the Mühlau bridge and listened to the excited shop talk that the crowd was using to pass the waiting time. Then there was cheering in the distance, like a wave, which came closer and closer until it roared around the corner with the leading group and caught us. The spectacle only lasted a few moments, but the crowd cheered the cyclists on with all their might. The comfort of the couch at home can't even come close to matching that. There will soon be another opportunity to get a taste of racing: on July 7, the final stage of the Tour of Austria ends in Kühtai, a stone's throw from Innsbruck.

The fact that the fifth part of the 73rd Tour of Austria ends in the alpine Kühtai was a deliberate decision, as Thomas Pupp, Managing Director of the event, explains: "We wanted to keep the overall standings as exciting as possible." The ascent at the end of last year's Tour of Austria created a real arc of suspense, and the aim was to make this possible again this year. 140 riders will tackle the 143.8 kilometers that lead from the start of the stage in the fortress town of Kufstein via Schwaz, the Patscherkofel and Innsbruck to the idyllic Kühtai. 2.712 meters of altitude have to be conquered by racing bike, including two sprint and three mountain classifications.

There are two ways of getting to know Kühtai: on well-groomed skis down the slopes or on foot uphill through the alpine botany. "Kühtai has a big name in cycling," Pupp explains to me. The Ötztal Cycle Marathon, one of the toughest races in the world, runs along this route, which is also very popular with amateur cyclists because of its scenery. Larches and alpine roses are likely to play only a subordinate role for the participants of Tour of Austria on the final day, after all they will have covered around 800 kilometers since the start in St. Pölten on 2 July.

From the tame Inn Valley, the route climbs up to the alpine terrain, behind the village of Grieß comes the long, notorious Kreuzlehn-Stich with a 16 percent gradient. Pupp recommends positioning yourself here: "That's where the preliminary decision is made, the climb is a real hot potato." Even uphill through the galleries, riders can reach speeds of up to 30 kilometers per hour - a speed that involves considerable pedaling even on the flat for laypeople with an average city bike.

Of course, you can not only watch others cycling, but also pedal yourself. According to Pupp, it is a good idea to come to Kühtai by bike and use the day for a tour, as the Drei-Seen-Lift allows you to take your bike with you free of charge. You should aim for the finish area from 13:30 if you want to follow the arrival of the athletes. "The big advantage of a road race is that there is no entrance fee. Spectators can watch from wherever they want," says Pupp. The supporting program rounds off the offer even more. The Expo will provide a stage for the latest innovations in cycling, while Tiwag will be hosting an exhibition on its 100th anniversary and the nearby hydropower project. At the Bike Trail Show, there's something for the eyes and nerves, while the open restaurants cater to the needs of the stomach.

Back to the sporting part. Pupp doesn't want to pick a clear favorite; after all, the teams only announce who they are sending into the race 72 hours before the start. But he does have a tip on who to keep an eye on: The knowledgeable organizer is expecting great things from Felix Großschartner. The Austrian first appeared on the racing bike world's radar on this very course in 2015 and has since worked his way up to one of the strongest teams in the world, that of the United Arab Emirates. Conclusion: It will be interesting to see what race day brings.

The 73rd Tour of Austria will take place between July 2 and 7, 2024, with the finalists reaching the finish line in Kühtai at around 2:30 pm. Information on the route in the Innsbruck region can be found here.