Congrats!
Chapeau and congratulations to all athletes competing in this big adventure! We‘re happy to see Team ADVANCE hitting the float in Zell am See safely after delivering a nerve-racking race in tough conditions among world-class athletes! And if there's one thing you can experience 8 times in a row without it becoming less exciting, it's Chrigel winning the Red Bull X-Alps!
Image: Erwin Voogt
The fastest race in history
After 2122 km total distance in only 6 days and 6 hours Chrigel Maurer lands on the raft in Zell am See! Only one night later further athletes of the Leading Pack arrive, including Patrick von Känel (5th place), Aaron Durogati (8th place), Rookie Sepp Inniger (12th place), Tom de Dorlodot (14th place) and Tobias Grossrubatscher (15th place). Our respect goes to all athletes who faced the extreme conditions and strong winds and made it to the finish line unscathed at absolute top speed.
Images: André Glauser, Sandro Hostettler, Agata Dominguez, Daniele Molineris, Elisa Deutschmann, Sidario Balzarini
Team ADVANCE
Q&A with Team ADVANCE
Chrigel, what is the most difficult part of the race for you?
"The most difficult part for me isn't the route. If it's flyable, everything's easy. If it's not flyable, everything's hard. The real challenge is making the right strategic decisions while being tired, exhausted and under increasing pressure after a few days."
Patrick, do you set limits for flyable conditions?
"I don't set any limits regarding the route. I just try to fly the ideal line but sometimes detours are faster. During my training I fly in as many different conditions as possible, e.g. in weak thermals or in strong winds, and the trick is to stay within these limits in competition to be safe."
Tom, what is your biggest learning after 8 races?
"My biggest learning: if you wanna be fast you kind of have to go slow. Having a strong strategy and taking enough time to think of the next move. It's all about keeping a clear mind and not rushing into actions."
Tobias, what do you like about the OMEGA ULS?
"I find the overall flight feeling even more pleasant: the brake pressure of the OMEGA ULS is lighter, it's more agile and it gives better feedback."
Aaron, do you have any limits when or where you won't fly?
"I have a general idea where I'm planning to fly but this year I try to be more flexible than normally. Regarding the conditions: I'll see day by day how I feel and make decisions in the moment. I haven't set limits."
Sepp, in which weight range do you fly the OMEGA ULS?
"I'm flying the OMEGA ULS in the upper half of the ideal weight range. My personal recommendation would be to choose the size where you're in the middle of the ideal weight range with a margin of +/- 3 kg"
James, how do you prepare mentally?
"For me it's all about preparation and visualization. Preparation puts me in a good mental state, I know I've done everything that I can to bring me the most success possible. Visualization is where I imagine myself accomplising the short and longer term goals. I already know what success feels like, and what's around the next corner, literally and figuratively."
OMEGA ULS Opinions
Our athletes' equipment
At the Red Bull X-Alps, our athletes pay attention to every gram of their gear. That's why we support them in packing as small and light as possible with high-end gear, so they can hike efficiently. We designed the new EN-D competition glider for achieving high performance with a comfortable flight feeling, so our teams can focus on important tactical decisions in flight: Better glide over the entire polar curve, less pressure on the B handles, pronounced turning ability and smooth handling. The OMEGA ULS has already shown its Winning-DNA at the Fly Chablais Challenge and the Bordairrace Kössen.
Flashback: Double Victory at the Red Bull X-Alps 2021
Chrigel Maurer, the Eagle of Adelboden, wins the Red Bull X-Alps 2021 for the 7th time in a row. ADVANCE test pilot Patrick von Känel comes in as second - ahead of Simon Oberrauner in a photo finish that is hard to beat in terms of suspense, and achieves the double victory for the ADVANCE team. A total of four ADVANCE athletes achieved places in the top ten. We are looking forward to this year's results!
