20 Years of Ziener BIKE Festival Willingen

Press Release / 11.05.2017

From May 19 till 21, 2017, the Ziener BIKE Festival Willingen takes place for the 20th time already. What started back in the days thanks to a great pioneer achievement, has meanwhile become one of Europe's biggest mountain bike spectacles – especially as the event weekend in the Upland region is once again creating another milestone celebrating its anniversary.
For the first time in the festival's long history, the unique outdoor fair will host a race for the thin-wheeled cyclists called Warsteiner Sauerland-Giro.

“The BIKE Festival Willingen is extending its broad range of events by adding a road bike race. Last year, we did implement a gravel race format. This year, we also offer a classic race,” explains Volker Schroeder (read the full interview here).

The Willingen local, who has been responsible for the course design of the event's races since 1998 and therefor well-deservedly earned the nick name “Pope of mountain biking”, adds:
“The Giro is made of a circular 30 km long track with some 500 metres of climbing which can be mastered twice, three or four times. All in all, this year's festival is full of highlights as it also includes the famous Rocky Mountain BIKE Marathon, the German Enduro MTB Championships, the SCOTT Junior Trophy, the CAMELBAK Pump Battle as well as a downhill race.”

In addition, the e-mountain biking fanbase will also get its money worth. After a successful debut at the European season's opening celebrated at the Ziener BIKE Festival Garda Trentino powered by FSA at the shores of Lake Garda a few weeks ago, the Bosch eMTB Challenge supported by Trek is also part of the official programme.

A programme, which was never as extensive as in 2017. “We did run a cross country race at the inaugural festival which got replaced by the marathon later on,” recalls Schroeder.
However, a major factor for the development of the event was and still is the Ettelsbergbahn, at first with its chair lift, today with its modern gondola.

“Back then, riders were descending the local hill on bikes only equipped with a suspension fork, on a track signed with a barrier tape. That's for sure not to forget as it did herald the start of a new era. Freeriding was born,” he says.

Fixed downhill tracks, a concept which got finally copied by many other regions, did not only boost the festival development but also helped Willingen to being able to host a triple World Cup with cross country, four cross and downhill action twice. The worldwide interest as well as the extension of the local course network did also push the local mountain bike tourism as well as the BIKE Festival.

Besides the massive variety of sport events, product novelties as well as technical developments are also in the focus as about 150 exhibitors are transforming the parking slot of the Ettelsbergbahn into an huge outdoor fair.

More than 35,000 visitors are expected from May 19 till 21, 2017. Further information on the festival can be viewed here.

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