The bike team Windhaag was introduced in 1982 as part of the UNION Windhaag. Joint training sessions, first races and competing in bike marathons were the first activities during that stage.

Finally in 1985 a separate bike team was formed named RCU Windhaag. Main target was to support the youngsters. Qickly a team of young riders was established and the common life in our team has transformed completely. In 1988 a total of 20 youngsters was registered in Windhaag. At that time many victories could be celebrated and even Austrian Champions were among our team members. Subsequently it became more and more professional. The success even in international competitions also made the team interesting for potential sponsors which enabled them to consider new paths.

DringVit as our new sponsor

In 1992 the team leaders managed to gain DrinkVit to become the main sponsor. The target was to become the leading professional cycling team in Austria. That challenging goal was supported by hiring Vaclav Skarul, a world-class trainer from Poland. The well known „DrinkVit-Team“ succeeded with countless national and international victories and even competed as the Austrian national team in several international races. The highlight during that time was a 4th place of Albin Kern in the Tour of Austria. Albin also won the Austrian hill climp championchips.

The team manage to become a main part of the national and also international cycling family. After a restructuring process in the organization of our main sponsor it was unfortunately decided that cycling would not be part of their marketing strategy in the future which, after eleven very successful years, suddenly stopped all ambitions and the team was forced to seek for a new orientation.

From cyclocross to Mountainbike

Besides the famous Cycling events in Windhaag the team also hosted several cyclo cross as well as mountainbike competitions in a very early stage of that sport. One of these races was won by Gerhard Zadrobilek, one of the big shots in Mountainbiking at that time. Already then the team has seen Mountainbiking to be a great new sport which really started to become important from the early 1990’s.

With new sponsors the team was able to restart with a new name POWER BIKE TEAM Windhaag and again success came quick with our first victories. Highlight was the title of Austrian Champion in the junior category by Georg Huber when Windhaag hosted the championships. Georg also competed in European- and World Championship competitions in subsequent years.

As a result of the new structure we also changed the umbrella organization from UNION to ASVÖ (general sport organization Austria).

Windhaag guarantees for great events in bicycle sport since 1985

Between 1985 and 1999 Windhaag hosted the “international cycling days of Windhaag” with the Carrera Grand Prix for 15 consecutive years. Additional three cyclocross events, 2 youngster cup races, 2 Mountainbike Grand Prix’s and between 1992 and 1999 in total 6 Mountainbike Marathons as part of the TOP-Six Cup were organized. The peak was in 1994 when 800 competitors started at the Marathon.

Between 2003 and 2006 the freeride event “Cross Night” brought some 1000 spectators to Windhaag.

For the past 20 years our main focus was the Mountainbike sport. The annual Cross Country competitions organized each year are an important part of the international race schedule since 1998

With as much as 62 events the cycling team Windhaag has organized competitions on 155 days since 1985. 

Two mountain bike trails in Windhaag

The ÖAMTC mountain bike trail Windhaag Windhaag is marked all year round and leads through a hilly extremely charming landscape, past mighty granite boulders, over bridges, meadows and forests. The longest route over 45 km additionally passes through the municipalities of St. Thomas/Bl. and Allerheiligen.

With overlaps, there are three more markings that allow shorter routes.

The municipalities concerned are Allerheiligen, Bad Zell, Münzbach, Perg, Pierbach, Rechberg, St. Thomas and Windhaag.

Attractive points are the ruins of Windhaag Castle, the backache port and the airy priest in St. Thomas, Rechberg lookout point and bathing lake, Bad Zell spa, Falkenstein, the snail tower of the Allerheiligen pilgrimage church and numerous stone formations characteristic of this area.

The circular course of the 3 Täler Classic Marathon leads mostly on forest and gravel roads as well as on goods roads through the beautiful landscape of the Mühlviertel. This panoramic route is also suitable for leisure cyclists, although the metres in altitude should not be underestimated. You can also shorten the circuit and cycle it in a 22 km loop.

Some parts of the route lead over private property during the 3 Täler Classic Marathon race event; these may only be used during the race!

From the start at the town square in Windhaag you ride along the monastery church in a northerly direction past the former prioress wing of the Dominican monastery and then down to the right through the Windhaag castle moat, the Kemettal valley in the direction of Rechberg and through the Naarntal valley back to Windhaag.