Review 2025
Hell is calling: Trophy 2025 - a recap
With more than 4.100 registrations from 38 nations, the 28th edtion of Salzkammergut Mountainbike Trophy lived up to it's reputation as Austria's biggest MTB-event once more. With perfect riding conditions, riders found their match on seven different MTB and gravel courses.
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With more than 4.100 registrations from 38 nations, the 28th edtion of Salzkammergut Mountainbike Trophy lived up to it's reputation as Austria's biggest MTB-event once more. With perfect riding conditions, riders found their match on seven different MTB and gravel courses.
Record times on the Extreme Distance
The A-course kicked off as early as 5:00 a.m. with the start of the longest and toughest distance. Manuel Pliem (Pure HUMANPWR KTM) took a commanding solo victory in 9:09:18 hours, followed by David Schöggl and last year’s winner Philip Handl.
In the women’s race, Theresa Rindler-Bachl (Protective Factory Team) secured an impressive win, crossing the finish line more than twelve minutes ahead of Sabine Sommer and Cornelia Holland.
Strong competition on Course B
The most popular distance, with 739 participants over 119.6 km, saw Jakob Reiter (Hrinkow Bikes Steyr) come out on top in a thrilling battle with Wolfgang Krenn. In the women’s field, Bianca Somavilla (deniflcycling.com) claimed her second Trophy victory.
Gravel keeps growing
Gravel biking continued its rise in popularity, with three gravel distances on offer this year. On the Gravel.eins course, Maximilian Foidl (KTM Factory MTB Team) took the men’s win, while Paula Schmidl (1OF1 Cycling Team) was fastest among the women. The Gravel.two and Gravel.three routes also attracted increasing numbers of riders.
Trophy spirit all day long
From the pre-dawn start to the final riders crossing the finish line in the night, the atmosphere along the course and in the fan zones was electric. More than 1,000 volunteers ensured a smooth and unforgettable experience for all.
>> Save the date: the 29th Salzkammergut Trophy will take place on July 18th, 2026 <<
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Record times on the Extreme Distance
The A-course kicked off as early as 5:00 a.m. with the start of the longest and toughest distance. Manuel Pliem (Pure HUMANPWR KTM) took a commanding solo victory in 9:09:18 hours, followed by David Schöggl and last year’s winner Philip Handl.
In the women’s race, Theresa Rindler-Bachl (Protective Factory Team) secured an impressive win, crossing the finish line more than twelve minutes ahead of Sabine Sommer and Cornelia Holland.
Strong competition on Course B
The most popular distance, with 739 participants over 119.6 km, saw Jakob Reiter (Hrinkow Bikes Steyr) come out on top in a thrilling battle with Wolfgang Krenn. In the women’s field, Bianca Somavilla (deniflcycling.com) claimed her second Trophy victory.
Gravel keeps growing
Gravel biking continued its rise in popularity, with three gravel distances on offer this year. On the Gravel.eins course, Maximilian Foidl (KTM Factory MTB Team) took the men’s win, while Paula Schmidl (1OF1 Cycling Team) was fastest among the women. The Gravel.two and Gravel.three routes also attracted increasing numbers of riders.
Trophy spirit all day long
From the pre-dawn start to the final riders crossing the finish line in the night, the atmosphere along the course and in the fan zones was electric. More than 1,000 volunteers ensured a smooth and unforgettable experience for all.
>> Save the date: the 29th Salzkammergut Trophy will take place on July 18th, 2026 <<
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Salzkammergut Trophy - A Course: Victory for Theresa Rindler-Bachl and Manuel Pliem on the Extreme Distance
IManuel Pliem claimed victory on the queen stage of this year's Salzkammergut Mountainbike Trophy.
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In mostly dry conditions and pleasant 22 °C temperatures, Manuel Pliem (AUT, Pure HUMANPWR KTM) claimed victory on the queen stage of the Salzkammergut Mountainbike Trophy - the infamous Course A, spanning 203.8 kilometers and 7,029 meters of elevation. With an impressive time of 9:09:18 hours, the Styrian rider dominated the race from start to finish - a true wire-to-wire win, leading every single checkpoint.
His strongest challenger, David Schöggl (AUT, 1OF1 Cycling Team), suffered a puncture that cost him contact with Pliem early on. Although he maintained a solid pace, he was unable to close the gap and finished second with a time deficit of +9:17 minutes, having consistently held second position at every split.
Philip Handl (AUT, Bikeleasing EDELSTEN Racing) rounded out the podium in third position. After a slow start - 10th at the second checkpoint in Weißenbach (km 29.6) - he steadily worked his way up through the field, reaching 3rd place by km 118.2, a strong performance from the young M20 rider. He eventually crossed the line +32:06 minutes behind Pliem.
The women's race also delivered excitement for spectators: Theresa Rindler-Bachl (AUT, Protective Factory Team) took the win in 11:38:06 hours. After a more conservative start in 3rd place, she took over the lead by the second pass through Weißenbach (km 118.2) and gradually extended her advantage.
Sabine Sommer (AUT, RC ARBÖ SK VÖEST), a seasoned Trophy competitor who had led in the early stages, was unable to respond in the final third of the race and finished second in 11:50:36 hours, +12:30 minutes behind.
Third place went to Cemile Trommer (GER, MSV Essen-Steele 2011), who rode a steady race and defended her podium position through the second half, finishing in 11:56:56 hours.
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His strongest challenger, David Schöggl (AUT, 1OF1 Cycling Team), suffered a puncture that cost him contact with Pliem early on. Although he maintained a solid pace, he was unable to close the gap and finished second with a time deficit of +9:17 minutes, having consistently held second position at every split.
Philip Handl (AUT, Bikeleasing EDELSTEN Racing) rounded out the podium in third position. After a slow start - 10th at the second checkpoint in Weißenbach (km 29.6) - he steadily worked his way up through the field, reaching 3rd place by km 118.2, a strong performance from the young M20 rider. He eventually crossed the line +32:06 minutes behind Pliem.
The women's race also delivered excitement for spectators: Theresa Rindler-Bachl (AUT, Protective Factory Team) took the win in 11:38:06 hours. After a more conservative start in 3rd place, she took over the lead by the second pass through Weißenbach (km 118.2) and gradually extended her advantage.
Sabine Sommer (AUT, RC ARBÖ SK VÖEST), a seasoned Trophy competitor who had led in the early stages, was unable to respond in the final third of the race and finished second in 11:50:36 hours, +12:30 minutes behind.
Third place went to Cemile Trommer (GER, MSV Essen-Steele 2011), who rode a steady race and defended her podium position through the second half, finishing in 11:56:56 hours.
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Close to 450 riders tackle the extreme distance at dawn
At exactly 5:00 AM, the starting gun went off for the toughest course of the Salzkammergut Trophy: the infamous extreme distance covering 209 kilometers and 7,000 meters of elevation gain.
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Bad Goisern, July 12th, 2025 - At exactly 5:00 AM, the starting gun went off for the toughest course of the Salzkammergut Trophy: the infamous extreme distance covering 209 kilometers and 7,000 meters of elevation gain. 440 fearless mountain bikers set out in the early morning to take on this epic course - a feat that truly lives up to the name: "A trip to hell and back.”
What drives the participants is as diverse as the field itself - from chasing personal bests to simply making it to the finish line. But all of them share a deep respect for the course and the unique spirit of the Trophy. Spectators and volunteers along the route created goosebump moments even in the early hours of the day; the first intermediate times point to an exciting race ahead.
Stay tuned for updates and results throughout the day.
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What drives the participants is as diverse as the field itself - from chasing personal bests to simply making it to the finish line. But all of them share a deep respect for the course and the unique spirit of the Trophy. Spectators and volunteers along the route created goosebump moments even in the early hours of the day; the first intermediate times point to an exciting race ahead.
Stay tuned for updates and results throughout the day.
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