Markus Stöckl
Encyclopedia
Markus 'Max' Stöckl is an Austria
n racing cyclist from Oberndorf in Tirol
, mainly occupied with mountainbike racing, who is known for establishing the world speed record descending on a serial production mountainbike, both on snow, when he reached 210 km/h in 2007, and on gravel, when he reached 164,95 km/h in 2011 on a volcano in Nicaragua
, beating a previous record from Eric Barone. He weighs 100 kg, stands 1.90 meters tall and his nickname is Hercules. He is currently director of the MS Racing team.
.
On September 14, 2007, at the age of 33, Stöckl rode his Intense M6 mountainbike down the ski slope of La Parva
, Chile
. The slope is 1,6 kilometers long with a decline of 45 degrees. He reached the speed of 210,4 km/h, 23 km/h faster than his own old record from eight years earlier. The new record was attained on a conventional bicycle with Shimano
components, including a Saint crankset and rear dérailleur and the new Deore XT disc brake
s with 203mm rotors that gave him the controllability and brake power to stop safely after each attempt. A lot of preparations went into the record attempt, but still some difficulties were met. South America’s springtime weather had melted away much of the snow alongside the piste, shrinking it to a narrow strip set up between bare mountain cliffs which made the test runs difficult to carry out. His aerodynamic helmet fogged up while practicing, so Stöckl decided to hold his breath during his 40 seconds lasting record attempt.
The top descending speeds have always been obtained on snow. Apart from that, the ashes and gravel of a volcano have been the other surface used. In 2011 Stöckl did break the world speed record descending on gravel, on a serial production bicycle, reaching 164,95 km/h on a volcano in Nicaragua
, beating the previous record of 163 km/h reached by Eric Barone in 2002.
Stöckl has declared that he wishes to break the speed record for prototype bicycles, which is set at 222 km/h on snow, and at 172 km/h on gravel, by Eric Barone.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n racing cyclist from Oberndorf in Tirol
Oberndorf in Tirol
Oberndorf is a municipality in Kitzbühel District, Tyrol, Austria. It is located in the Leukental valley, on the Kitzbühler Ache stream, halfway between St. Johann in Tirol and Kitzbühel, at an altitude of 687 m above sea level....
, mainly occupied with mountainbike racing, who is known for establishing the world speed record descending on a serial production mountainbike, both on snow, when he reached 210 km/h in 2007, and on gravel, when he reached 164,95 km/h in 2011 on a volcano in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, beating a previous record from Eric Barone. He weighs 100 kg, stands 1.90 meters tall and his nickname is Hercules. He is currently director of the MS Racing team.
Biography
Markus started biking in year 1992. In year 1999 he could not afford an expensive bicycle prototype, so he rode in the series bike class and managed to set a world speed record in that category, descending at 187 km/h at Les ArcsLes Arcs
Les Arcs is a ski resort located in Savoie, France, in the Tarentaise Valley town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Initially created by Robert Blanc and Roger Godino...
.
On September 14, 2007, at the age of 33, Stöckl rode his Intense M6 mountainbike down the ski slope of La Parva
La Parva
La Parva is a town and ski resort located about northeast of the Chilean capital of Santiago. It is in the middle ridge of the "3 Valleys" resorts that also includes El Colorado and Valle Nevado....
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. The slope is 1,6 kilometers long with a decline of 45 degrees. He reached the speed of 210,4 km/h, 23 km/h faster than his own old record from eight years earlier. The new record was attained on a conventional bicycle with Shimano
Shimano
Shimano, Inc. is a Japanese multinational manufacturer of cycling components, fishing tackle, and rowing equipment.In 2005, the company had net sales of US $1.4 billion. Bicycle components provided 75% of its sales income...
components, including a Saint crankset and rear dérailleur and the new Deore XT disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s with 203mm rotors that gave him the controllability and brake power to stop safely after each attempt. A lot of preparations went into the record attempt, but still some difficulties were met. South America’s springtime weather had melted away much of the snow alongside the piste, shrinking it to a narrow strip set up between bare mountain cliffs which made the test runs difficult to carry out. His aerodynamic helmet fogged up while practicing, so Stöckl decided to hold his breath during his 40 seconds lasting record attempt.
The top descending speeds have always been obtained on snow. Apart from that, the ashes and gravel of a volcano have been the other surface used. In 2011 Stöckl did break the world speed record descending on gravel, on a serial production bicycle, reaching 164,95 km/h on a volcano in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, beating the previous record of 163 km/h reached by Eric Barone in 2002.
Stöckl has declared that he wishes to break the speed record for prototype bicycles, which is set at 222 km/h on snow, and at 172 km/h on gravel, by Eric Barone.