Race Around Austria: First winner crosses the finish line

Dominik Schickmair from Lower Austria has won the Race Around Austria Challenge. The 24-hour classic, covering 560 kilometres and 6,500 metres of elevation gain, ended for the Hague-based athlete after 16 hours and 33 minutes in St. Georgen im Attergau. Schickmair, who had already won this race in 2017, crossed the finish line one and a half hours ahead of Manuel Geyer-Bosson. Daniel Kapeller completed the podium in third place.

Second victory since 2017

Schickmair missed his target of under 16 hours 30 minutes by just three minutes. Two-time RAAM winner Philipp Kaider supported him as part of the support team. The Lower Austrian had already won the Austrian championship title in the two-person team ultra category at the Race Around Lower Austria this year, alongside Dominik Meierhofer. In the Team Challenge, 1OF1 Bikes / Hemetsberger Dach, with Wolfgang Krenn and Gerhard Schimpl, prevailed over Fungi Pad Racing and BSX Energie Rockets in a time of 15 hours 29 minutes.

Kaufmann dominates the World Championship race at the Race Around Austria

Lukas Kaufmann is leading the field at the Ultracycling World Championships, which cover a distance of 2,200 kilometres and around 30,000 metres of elevation gain. The Upper Austrian, a two-time runner-up in the Race Across America, initially went head-to-head with Germany’s Sebastian Trimborn. In the southern part of Carinthia, the Kronstorf native successfully pulled away from the pack. At Kötschach Mauthen, just before the Lesachtal valley in East Tyrol, Kaufmann is already two hours ahead of Franz Scharler after 1 day and 14 hours. Trimborn follows close behind in third place. Kaufmann has already covered 1,150 kilometres and has thus reached the halfway point of the race.

Büttner leads the Race Around Austria

In the women’s race, last year’s World Championship runner-up Tina Büttner is on course for a strong performance. The German is two and a half hours ahead of her compatriot Yvonne Margraf. The WUCA World Championships will be held at the RAA in 2026 for the second time, following the 2025 event. The event comprises various races, ranging from unsupported races around Upper Austria to a 1,500-kilometre entry-level version and a 560-kilometre challenge.

Updates on the Race Around Austria podcast

Christoph Strasser and Flo Kraschitzer are covering the race with daily updates. Strasser has won the Extreme distance four times as a solo rider, whilst Kraschitzer has been working as a support staff member for years. The pair offer insights into the route and the challenges of the ultra-cycling race. Voice messages from the participants complement the ‘Sitzfleisch Specials’, which are released daily from 9 pm on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.