Super cyclist Mario Tallinger talks about his love for extreme sports

Schlosselberg. Sport was a foreign word for Mario Thallinger until eight years ago. In 2013, he spontaneously bought a racing bike. Today, 27-year-old Schlueberger can look back on the world title.

“Some like to buy watches, and I prefer to buy race bikes,” says Thalinger with a smile. Schlüßlberger already has three racing bikes at home. For the cyclist, who won the Glocknerman’s Under-30 World Championships in 2018, riding a race bike is a good way to balance out the stressful everyday life. “I currently drive about 25 hours a week. I have always been driven by ambition and each time I want to achieve a little more than I struggled before.”

From contact sports to cycling

When he was 19, he wanted to change something in his life, and he was inspired by his uncle to ride bicycles and bought a bicycle. After Glocknerman’s World Championship title, Europe’s strongest cycling race, the Race Around Austria (RAA), was followed in 2019 and the 24-hour cycle marathon at Grieskirchen. “The last time we rode in pairs at Race Around Austria. That was also the sticking point for me this year, when I definitely wanted to try it out on my own,” says the aspiring race cyclist. In 2021, he was able to complete the 2,200 km bike route in four days, four hours and 41 minutes.

Thallinger’s Big Dream: Race Across America

The ambitious cyclist crowned by participating in the Race Across America, which runs from the West Coast of the United States to the East Coast. It covers 5000 km. For his other competitions, Thallinger relies on sponsors. “Maybe I can make that wish come true one day,” Tallinger concludes.