Friedrichshafen, Germany – It’s called the hardest mountain bike race in the world: the Hero Race in South Tyrol, with a length of 86 kilometers (54 miles) and an elevation gain of 4,500 meters (nearly 15,000 feet). As of this year, Südtirol Dolomites Hero is the new tourism partner of the global bike industry’s leading trade fair, the Eurobike, which will take place from August 31 to September 4, 2016.
“We’ve gained a strong partner in the Südtirol Dolomites Hero for the next four years. This cooperation enables the Eurobike to do more than just present the latest bike product innovations. It will also help boost biking tourism, another important aspect of the bike industry that has been growing steadily for decades and has been an essential part of the industry’s leading fair,” commented project manager Dirk Heidrich.
The tourist destination region of South Tyrol is also pleased to be in the spotlight at the main trade fair for biking: “We are very happy to be the Eurobike’s tourism partner. The Dolomites region of South Tirol offers a myriad of biking options. As a destination for biking tourism, we may still be young, but we already have some great highlights to offer, such as the Hero—probably the hardest mountain bike marathon in the world—and the gondola tour all around the Sella group. The fair will give us the opportunity to draw global attention to our biking events and our other offerings for tourists,” said Gerhard Vanzi, Südtirol Dolomites Hero chairman. In the valleys of Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Arabba and Fassa, and on the high plateaus of Seiser Alm, the region holds numerous trails for all different kinds of bike and at all different challenge levels.
The crown jewel of the new tourism partner is an extreme mountain bike race: the Hero Race, which has taken place every year since 2010 and even hosted the 2015 MTB Marathon world championships. On two trails, 60 and 86 kilometers (38 and 54 miles) in length, over 4,000 participants struggle to overcome 3,200 and 4,500 meters (10,500 and 15,000 feet) of cumulative elevation gain. As the organizers put it, it’s a challenge for true heroes. More information at herodolomites.bike.
The Eurobike 2016 will take place from Wednesday, August 31 to Sunday, September 4, and will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. On the Business Days, from Wednesday through Friday, the Eurobike 2016 will be accessible only to trade visitors and accredited journalists. On the Festival Days, Saturday and Sunday, the Eurobike will be open to the general public.
Further information and an overview of prices are available at eurobike-show.com and facebook.com/eurobike.tradeshow.