Hettegger targets road cycling world medal after mountain bike silver

Michael Hettegger is targeting another world championship medal after winning silver in the junior cross country event at the mountain biking world championships last week, ORF reported. The 18 year old from Strobl is aiming for a medal at the junior road cycling world championships in Canada in three weeks.

Hettegger’s medal from Val di Sole, Italy, has already been put away at home. He said it was a major success because it was his first world championship medal, following another silver at the European championships. The result was also Austria’s first men’s mountain biking world championship medal in more than 20 years.

He has since returned to training on his road bike, riding every day for two to three hours and covering between 100 and 120 kilometres.

Hettegger describes mountain biking and road cycling at the highest level as a huge difference. Mountain bike racing requires full effort from the start to the finish, he said, while road racing involves considerable tactical planning.

The Salzburg rider was previously a cross country skiing champion and also competed in ski races before taking up cycling at an early age. His family home is on the Postalm road between Strobl and Abtenau, a well known cycling route in Salzburg. He said he developed a passion for cycling at about the age of three and began seriously pursuing a professional career at 10.

Hettegger is regarded as a major talent in cycling. He is 1.78 metres tall, weighs 59 kilograms and is a climber. The professional team Lidl Trek has already shown interest in him.

The junior road race in Montreal is expected to suit him, with almost 3,000 metres of climbing. Hettegger said his goal was at least a medal and that he would also target gold.

A road world title would place him in the footsteps of Felix Gall, who won the junior world championship in 2015.