Voices of the Teammanagers
It’s a unique story in cycling: the country’s biggest teams came together to put the Tour of Austria on a new footing after a three-year break. That’s what the people in charge say about the Tour of Austria 2023.
“The name change to Tour of Austria underscores the international importance of the race, while the DNA remains the same: Austria’s most important cycling event, a springboard for young talents, and the perfect sightseeing tour through Austria. But what is remarkable is the process of this restart, which fully embodies the narrative of cycling as a team sport: the five Austrian continental teams and Vienna City Marathon organizer Wolfgang Konrad have joined forces to re-establish “their tour” after a three-year break.”
Mag. Thomas Pupp, Team Manager Tirol KTM Cycling
“For me personally, it is a unique and meaningful story for the restart of the Österreich Rundfahrt. It is almost unbelievable that overnight competitors become partners for a good cause. The tour is of enormous importance to us as teams, as it allows us to showcase ourselves in Austria. Especially for the young riders in our teams who want to recommend themselves for higher tasks. It has been shown that if you move from talking to action, corresponding projects can also be implemented. It took courage, as not all doors are open after a three-year break. But we have decided firmly in the interests of Austrian cycling.”
Thomas Kofler, Team Manager Vorarlberg
“Actually, the Austrian Cycling Federation should organize the Tour – we Continental teams already have enough on our agenda to organize and finance our teams. But without the event the search for sponsors becomes increasingly difficult for us too. Therefore, we are all trying to revive the race together. My expectations are that the Österreich Rundfahrt will be well received by fans and that cycling in Austria will once again come into focus in the media.”
Daniel Repitz, Team Manager Felbermayr Simplon Wels
“For the idea of organizing the Tour of Austria as a collective of all Austrian continental teams, we were excited from the beginning. Five teams that fight hard in the races but still manage to pull together for the Tour of Austria. That’s something special. With Wolfgang Konrad, we have one of the most experienced sports event organizers on board. He brings his know-how from decades of experience. For our Hrinkow Advaircs team, the Tour of Austria is the season highlight.”
Dominik Hrinkow, Team Manager Hrinkow Advarics
“After three years without the Österreich Rundfahrt, it was high time to take action to get the tour rolling again. That the domestic continental teams understand each other so well that they decided to take over the organization of the Ö-Tour themselves was probably the most brilliant decision! For our team, this means finally having the chance to present ourselves to the domestic audience. So that we can also offer our sponsors a platform to be present in the media!”
Christoph Resl, Team Manager WSA KTM Graz P/B Leomo
“Eight of the nine federal states describe themselves in their positioning as a “cycling region.” Austria’s federal states offer outstanding opportunities for cycling on the road or on cycle paths and trails in the countryside as a holiday destination in the summer. Innsbruck proved to be a perfect host during the extremely successful UCI Road World Championships 2018 in Innsbruck. Cycling offers enormous opportunities and chances for our country to position itself as the holiday destination for all cycling enthusiasts. But for this, we also need a lighthouse event in the summer of national importance, like the new Tour of Austria. I am very pleased that I can support the organizers with my expertise. As organizer of the Vienna City Marathon, I know how important a perfect connection of sport, tourism and partners is!”
Wolfgang Konrad, Co-Owner Tour of Austria and Managing Director Vienna City Marathon
“Innauer + (f)acts is a full-service sports agency and one of the leading agencies in the winter sports business, with over 40 years of experience in elite sports and sports marketing. The Tour of Austria 2023 is now another milestone for Innauer + (f)acts. We are very excited about the new cooperation with the Tour of Austria team in the areas of “marketing & VIP hospitality”. The idea of “movement for all of Austria” fascinates us, so together with the Tour of Austria, we move all of Austria. Powerful and moving through Austria.”
Wolfgang Schwarzmann, Managing Director Innauer + (f)acts
