Carinthia 200 cycling premiere attracts 2,000 participants in Villach

The inaugural Carinthia 200 amateur cycling event took place in Villach, Austria, attracting approximately 2,000 participants from 24 different nations. The race featured two primary distances: a long-distance route of 197.4 kilometers with 2,731 meters of elevation gain, and a shorter 105.7-kilometer route with 1,304 meters of elevation gain.

In the premier long-distance category, Carina Ziegler of Team Heartland Cycling won the women's race with a time of 5:33:44.9, narrowly defeating Valerie Rupitsch. In the men's category, Wolfgang Krenn of the 1OF1 Cycling Team secured victory in 5:05:27, finishing just ahead of mountain bike marathon world champion Alban Lakata.

The event, organized by a team including Julius Rupitsch, utilized nearly entirely closed roads through eleven municipalities, including the Gailtal, Windische Höhe, and Drautal regions. The large-scale operation was supported by 600 volunteers, local fire departments, sports clubs, and emergency services.