The 17th edition of the Oberösterreich Rundfahrt kicked off under a fast and fading Austrian evening sky, treating the peloton to a short but agonizingly steep 4 km prologue from Linz Hauptplatz up to the Pöstlingberg. Packing 261 vertical meters into a brief explosion of power, the race was a chaotic affair from the gun due to a unique staggered grid that scattered team rosters across different starting boxes. Our sports director noted that while this experimental setup was designed to balance out the field, it actually intensified the early positioning battles, turning the approach to the climb into a frantic, high-speed puzzle. The peloton’s vibe was pure nervous energy, culminating in a vicious acceleration by the Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team, whose young talent Henrique Bravo claimed the stage victory with a lethal late surge in 8:35. Fighting through the heavy traffic, close calls, and rising waves of lactic acid, the Team United Shipping riders held their own in a field that has significantly stepped up in prestige compared to previous years.
Zsombi’s full gas opener
“I got the opportunity to start from the first starting box today. The six riders of the teams were scattered across six different starting boxes to make the race more balanced. This meant a bit less chaos for me compared to last year, for example, but there was still plenty of it. Crashes, tangles, and positioning battles all the way through. Erik and I moved well at the front in the last 4 km, then it was a killer pace all the way, which just kept increasing, and in the last kilometer, Quick-Step stretched out the line. I squeezed everything out of myself, fighting the waves of lactic acid and oxygen deficiency until the finish line, which was enough for 23rd place today. I am satisfied that I was able to completely empty myself.
I feel in good condition, the training sessions went well too, plus if nothing else, this today’s ~10-minute full gas effort even activated the legs, so let’s push the next three days similarly!
I want to ride an active race and maximize the tactics of each given day. Compared to last year, this field is even two levels more prestigious and stronger now, so I expect a difficult race, but I think we arrived with a good team.”
Erik’s rhythm search
“Today was hectic and fast. You had to be very sharp in this Austrian evening. 🙂 Zsombor and I fought with the front today, at the very end only a little bit was missing to close in the first group. I expected more from myself today, but the legs were not completely ready yet. After Tour de Hongrie I mostly relaxed, it will probably take a few days to pick up the race rhythm again. Even so, I was very close to the front, there won’t be a problem there. Looking forward to the next days!”
Photo: Márton Sitku