Mona Mitterwallner: Comeback after falling in the mountain bike World Cup!

Mona Mitterwallner: Comeback after falling in the mountain bike World Cup!

Mona Mitterwallner, the marathon world champion from Tyrol, returns to the competition two and a half weeks after her fall while racing during the Vuelta. It will compete in the Mountain Bike World Cup in Nove Mesto, the Czech Republic on May 25th. Despite visible injuries on her face, she has prepared intensively for her comeback and completed a comprehensive training session in her home country. The 23-year-old reports that she spent a lot of time alone on the bike to optimally prepare for both mentally and physically.

Mitterwallner feels well prepared for the upcoming competition and has focused on a positive racing experience. In her last competition, the start of the season in Brazil, she could not achieve a top position, while Tamara Wiedmann achieved the best Austrian result with a fifth place. Mitterwallner therefore sees her return not only as an opportunity for a new competition, but also as a possibility for further improvement. Krone reports that this competition is of great importance for you, especially after the injury phase.

sporting competition and focus on the WM

Special attention at the mountain bike World Cup will be on Mathieu van der Poel, which also starts in Nove Mesto after a break of several years. The Dutch cycling professional uses this occasion to test his competition after celebrating great success in the spring season, including the winning of Paris-Roubaix and Milan-Sanremo. Van der Poel plans to win the World Cup title in the mountain bike in September and will take part in the Tour de France. the sporting relevance of this event for all participants.

The return of Mitterwallner and van der Poel into the racing acts takes place against the background of a worrying trend. According to a report by The Presse the Klinikum Schwarzach in Salzburger Pongau has an increase to mountain bike violations. The causes of this are diverse and range from too high speed to poor equipment to false self -assessment, especially for holidaymakers and new mountain bikers.

Increasing injuries in cycling

The number of bike accidents in the Schwarzach Clinic has increased by more than 30 percent in the past five years, with over 500 patients being treated for falls during the cycling season (May to October). The most common injuries include head injuries (28%), breast violations (13%) as well as the shoulders and upper arms (12%). In particular, downhill trips are dangerous, where falls over the steering wheel are common.

While the helmet trag ratio is high among trail bikers, these measures often not sufficient to avoid serious injuries. The high speed during the trips often leads to polytrauma. Experts therefore recommend wearing helmets and protectors and paying attention to the condition of the bicycle, in particular on the tire profile, the tire pressure and the brakes. In addition, physical fitness is emphasized to minimize risks when mountain biking.

Nonetheless, cycling is generally considered healthy and recommended as long as the drivers adapt to the conditions and make realistic self-assessments. growing popularity of e-mountain bikes that contribute to the increase in mountain biking.