Photo by notfrancois under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

The Ischgl Ironbike, which has a prize fund of Euro 20,000, starts on Saturday, August 3, 2012, at 8:30am. Each year around a thousand bikers participate in the race, which starts in Ischgl, Austria and works its way towards Samnaun, Switzerland. 

Ischgl Ironbike offers 3 races for wide variety of athletes. The short loop is 27-kilometer race with an elevation gain of 700 meters. More ambitious mountain bikers can choose the intermediate 48-kilometer loop with an elevation gain of 2050 meters whihc also features a steep 1,200-meter descent to Ischgl.

The classic Ischgl Ironbike is one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world and for truly advanced bikers only. The 79-kilometer long course, with an elevation gain of 3820 metres, includes steep climbs, rapid descents, and technical singletracks.

Everybody must complete the short loop to Galtür and back to Ischgl. Just before the finish, participants can decide whether they want to continue with the intermediate or long loop or ride directly to the finish and thus be judged on their short track performance. The route splits into the intermediate and long loops below Vellilscharte (above Idalp). There, participants can decide whether to finish the intermediate track through the Vellil Valley or to opt for the long track to Samnaun.