REVIEW

Peretti and Pernsteiner defend their titles at the 30th Ischgl Ironbike

More than 800 mountain bikers from 26 nations delivered an impressive turnout for the anniversary edition of the Ischgl Ironbike. In one of the toughest mountain bike marathons in Europe, Italy’s Claudia Peretti and Austrian rider Hermann Pernsteiner claimed victory in the Extreme Distance race on Saturday, successfully defending their titles against top international competitors.

Anniversary vibes and peak performances:
The 30th edition of the Ischgl Ironbike set a new record, with over 800 riders from 26 countries taking part. On the demanding Extreme Distance course, it was again Italy’s Claudia Peretti and Austria’s Hermann Pernsteiner who came out on top—just like last year. Their wins not only earned them the Ironbike Marathon titles but also crowned them Austrian National Champions in the MTB Marathon category.

Recognized as one of Europe’s toughest mountain bike races, the Ischgl Ironbike offers courses for every level: from the grueling Extreme Distance (70 km / 3,400 m elevation gain), to Hard (59 km / 2,720 m), Medium (44 km / 1,890 m), and Light (25 km / 660 m). The spectacular routes follow historic smuggler trails through the stunning scenery of the Silvretta mountains. Along the way, elite athletes collected points for the ÖRV Austria Marathon Cup and the Mountainbike Challenge.

Extreme Distance: Austrian triple victory

In the main event, Hermann Pernsteiner claimed his second consecutive victory with a time of 3:43 hours. The rider from Lower Austria, who is once again fully focused on mountain biking, led an impressive Austrian podium sweep. Second place went to Manuel Pliem (Upper Austria), while third went to Daniel Federspiel (Tyrol), who demonstrated his enduring skill in his 22nd appearance at the race.

In the women’s field, Italian rider Claudia Peretti once again dominated, riding a commanding race and crossing the finish line first after 4:36 hours.

Hard Distance: Sommer and Laschewski win national titles

On the 59-kilometer Hard course, German World Cup rider Luisa Daubermann took the win ahead of young Upper Austrian Clara Sommer. Sommer also secured the Austrian national title, finishing ahead of her mother, Sabine Sommer. Third in the Austrian Championship rankings was Eva Herzog.

Among the men, Germany’s Noah Laschewski claimed victory, ahead of Vorarlberg’s Kilian Feurstein and Julius Scherrer.

Short Track: Wins for Federspiel and Daubermann

The race weekend kicked off with Friday’s Short Track race. Daniel Federspiel from Tyrol took the win in the men’s race, while Luisa Daubermann topped the women’s field. Away from the elite competitions, the Ironbike Kids & Juniors Trophy presented by Volksbank Tirol sparked excitement among the next generation of mountain bike enthusiasts.