Why is Chrigel Maurer (SUI1) out front all the time? What is his secret? One thing it is not is magic – Maurer is an athlete and a pilot, just like all the rest of the Red Bull X-Alps athletes.
He has a lot of experience in the race, yes, but there is also one extra thing that defines him, and that is his flying style.
Although he has earned the nickname ‘Chrigel the Eagle’, Maurer’s flying style is in fact more like a condor. Because like these giant birds of the Andes, as a pilot he tends to fly in as straight a line as possible.
A typical paraglider pilot uses the ‘climb-and-glide’ technique to fly cross country through the air. That means they find a thermal, turn circles in it until they reach cloudbase, then turn and glide to the next thermal, where they turn in circles again to gain more height.
Watch Maurer – and the other top athletes in this race – for any length of time on Live Tracking, and you will see that Maurer spends most of his time gliding, and a lot less time turning in circles and climbing than many other pilots, especially the ones further back.
‘When you are climbing, you are facing the wrong way half the time,’ he has said before – and he is only half joking.
His technique, where he stitches together lines of lift either in the sky below the clouds, or along valleys and mountains, allows him to move quickly across the terrain. This is exactly what condors do in the wild skies of the Andes and Patagonia. It is also why, over several hours, the cumulative effect is that Maurer manages to push ahead.
The ‘condor technique’ is an extremely advanced style of flying – more like flying a sailplane or glider – and it is learned by years and years of practice.
Add this very efficient flying style to Maurer’s clear-headed decision making, Alpine flying and hiking knowledge and experience, and the whole package adds up to what you can see in the Red Bull X-Alps. A mountain athlete and pilot at the very peak of their abilities – and still the man to beat.
Follow the champion live now on his way to TP7 Titlis!
DROPPING INTO DAVOS
Swiss mountain resort hosts gathering of the world’s greatest adventure athletes.
For immediate release:
June 19, 2019
Chrigel Maurer (SUI1) and Maxime Pinot (FRA4) fighting for the Red Bull X-Alps 2019 crown © zooom.at / Sebastian Marko
The Red Bull X-Alps today entered Davos, Switzerland. The Swiss mountain resort may be better known as the gathering place of world leaders. But from today it welcomes the world’s top adventure athletes swooping in under human power. Appropriately, it was the five-time Swiss champion Christian ‘Chrigel’ Maurer who was first to make the Turnpoint, arriving to huge cheers from the lakeside crowd who’d come to greet his arrival.
In hot pursuit was the French rookie athlete Maxime Pinot, who arrived shortly after 1pm, looking tired from the flight.
“It must look good on Live Tracking,” he said. “But sometimes there are 20kph to 30kph winds and it was quite complicated. We also lost some time at the launch. The ridge where we hiked was not so easy to take off from.”
It is the second time that Pinot has started the day alongside Maurer only to fall behind in the air. It would seem his only chance is for Maurer to make a mistake, something increasingly unlikely as the multiple champion enters home turf. But by mid-afternoon Pinot was hanging on in his slipstream.
But there is one thing that could yet turn the race in his favor – the weather. If it turns against the leaders tomorrow as predicted, and forces them to continue on foot, it could be the younger Frenchman who has the advantage. He is an experienced and fast ultra-runner while Maurer suffered in the 2017 race when forced to hike all day.
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Maxime Pinot (FRA4) on the heels of Chrigel Maurer (SUI1) touching down close to Kappl, Austria © zooom.at / Harald Tauderer five-time champion Christian Maurer © zooom.at / Honza Zak
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One of the most interesting stories of the race however is the comeback of the Italian flying maestro Aaron Durogati. On the first day he was lingering at the back but in the last two days has stormed through the rankings and is looking very strong in third place. However, that could all change again if he is forced to hike, something the Italian has been keen to avoid all race as much as possible.
Chasing hard behind him is the Austrian athlete Paul Guschlbauer and Gaspard Petiot (FRA2). There’s then a gaggle of 10 athletes all approximately at the same location, taking advantage of flying in a group but also jockeying for position. The battle for dominance within this group is proving to be a gripping race within the main race.
At the back it’s game over for Lebanese athlete Rodolphe Akl. He was eliminated this morning. The next last-placed athlete will be eliminated in 48 hours and it’s not looking good for Polish athlete Dominika Kasieczko. She has already pulled her Night Pass and has no more cards to play. Today it is the Russian athlete Evgenii Griaznov (RUS) who has chosen to walk through the night.
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Paul Guschlbauer hiking in Lermoos – Tiroler Zugspitz Arena Aaron Durogati (ITA1) was the third athlete at Turnpoint 5
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ABOUT RED BULL X-ALPS
Red Bull X-Alps 2019 is the world’s toughest adventure race, covering over 1,138km of alpine terrain. It started on June 16, marking the ninth edition of the race. 32 world-class athletes from 20 nations take part in this grueling journey from Salzburg to Monaco only by foot and paraglider – their every move tracked and played out to an audience of millions via the Live Tracking. The competition field consists of 16 veterans, 15 rookies and one defending champion who will be looking to add a sixth consecutive victory to his resume.
Along the way, the athletes will pass 13 Turnpoints in 6 different countries. Prior to the main event, the one-day Prologue race will see athletes jostle for a prime position. The top three finishers will earn themselves an additional Night Pass; allowing them to continue onwards once through the mandatory rest period.
This year’s route brings the racers into both familiar and new terrain – but you can count on every single day showing us rocky ascents, dizzying flights and crucial, strategic decisions – a challenge for body and mind. With a more demanding route than ever before, Red Bull X-Alps 2019 will be full of drama, adventure, and high-alpine action. The winner will need to be smart, strong, a master of both planning and reactivity – and have a little bit of luck. Red Bull X-Alps 2019 is the world’s toughest adventure race – and it’s starting soon.
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User manual T-Ride en.pdf
