The countdown to the 15th ASVÖ King of the Lake has begun. On 20 September, Lake Attersee will be transformed into the Salzkammergut into an exclusive race track for cyclists. What makes it special: The 47.2-kilometre route around the lake is completely closed to traffic so that participants can ride in perfect conditions. With over 1,400 starters from 22 nations, the event has established itself as one of the biggest Time trial established in Europe. The starting signal is given at 13:00 in Kammer/Schörfling and the race runs clockwise around Lake Attersee. Five fan zones along the route offer spectators the opportunity to cheer on the athletes. Those who cannot be there have the opportunity to watch the Race via a live stream and live ticker on the official website www.kotl.at.
Race categories and favourites
The race kicks off with the 10-man team time trial powered by Upper Austria at 13:00. A total of 22 teams will be at the start, including last year's winning team Cycling Team Schwingshandl and Team Magnesium Pur, which triumphed in the two previous years. The team led by René Haselbacher, Reto Hollenstein, Matthias Krizek, Felix Ritzinger, Stefan Rabitsch and professional snowboarder Benni Karl is also likely to attract particular attention. In this category, the times of the best seven team members are counted.
This will be followed by the popular 4-man team time trial powered by Autohaus Eder & Volkswagen with 108 registered teams. Team Radsport Gaimersheim 1 is the favourite here, having won the last three editions. Former professional Marcus Burghardt will also be competing again in a 4-man team and should have a say in the top places.
Battle for the crown at the King of the Lake
The battle for the title of King of the Lake powered by Specialized will be particularly exciting. Felix Hermanutz (King 2019) and Alexander Lemp (King 2022) are two former winners at the start who are aiming for the crown once again. Local hero and defending champion Daniel Hochstrasser wants to make the most of his home advantage: "The ASVÖ King of the Lake is of course my big highlight of the season as an amateur biker and I will do everything I can to defend the title from last year," says Hochstrasser. The 2023 King, Daniel Szalay, as well as last year's runner-up, Nikolaus Szava, and Upper Austrian René Pammer are also considered hot candidates. In addition, multiple Race Across America winner Christoph Strasser could be back at the front. Three-time Olympic luge champion Felix Loch, who will be competing in the KOTL for the first time, will be celebrating a premiere.
The fastest women on Lake Attersee
There are signs of an exciting competition for the title of Queen of the Lake powered by Lenzing AG in the women's race. The current course record is held by Anna Kofler, who set a time of 1:03:51.03 in 2023. Last year's winner Alexandra Krennmayr will do everything in her power to defend her title.
In the Elite Queen of the Lake category, also powered by Lenzing AG, the aforementioned Anna Kofler could have a good chance of winning the title in the absence of last year's record holder Anna Kiesenhofer (1:02:21.64). However, she will have to hold her own against last year's runner-up Lydia Ventker. Two-time U23 queen Elisa Winter is also a candidate for the top places.
King of the Lake elite and young talent
At the Elite King, top riders from the Austrian and German national cycling leagues ensure excitement. In addition to the "five-time King" Julian Braun, Dutch elite rider Brian Megens is also in the starting blocks. Young riders will also be battling for the best times: In the U23-King of the Lake and U23-Queen of the Lake categories, both powered by Raiffeisen, the young talents will demonstrate their skills in the fast ride around the Lake Attersee prove their worth.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
