“Mad Max” – the name of an action movie – was given by the sports world to Austrian athlete Markus Stockl, after he just set a new world record for descending a 45-degree slope using a mountain bike at an incredible speed. Hoang: 167.6 km/h.
Break all limits
Markus Stockl, born in 1974, weighing up to 100 kg, has proven that limits that many people think are impossible can become possible with just a mountain bike. To date, Stockl is probably the only athlete in the world who dares to try downhill on a mountain bike on all terrains to test what the maximum speed will be. The most dangerous thing about these “crazy” record-setting streaks is that a catastrophic accident can strike at any time. In addition to technical factors, the mountain bike is unlikely to be able to withstand the terrifying speed, causing it to break in half and lead to injury to the operator.
The road that Stockl just made the downhill on February 9 in the remote Atacama desert area in Chile is full of rough rocks and quicksand. “The desert track conditions for downhill racing are different from any other track,” Stockl said. It is full of difficulties and challenges. Jagged rocks, quicksand and rough terrain not only hinder speed but can also be harmful to yourself. However, “if I like it, I’ll do it”, Stockl performed a “crazy” descent from the mountainside with a 45-degree slope and a length of 1,200 m to reach a terrible speed from 0 to 167.6 km. /hour in just 11 seconds.
The more than 2-minute video of Stockl’s new world record with a steep descent has now reached the milestone of nearly 1 million views on YouTube. This is not the first time this Austrian athlete has set such a record. In 2007, Stockl reached a speed of up to 210.4 km/h when performing a downhill on a mountain bike but on snow from the cold mountainous area in La Parva (Chile) also with a 45 degree inclination. In 2011, Stockl made a steep descent from a volcano in Nicaragua on a mountain bike reaching a speed of 164.95 km/h. This record was just broken by Stockl himself with a speed of 167.6 km/h in similar conditions.
Strange passion
Stockl is currently the Director of the MS Racing mountain bike racing team in Austria. However, the passion for setting strange records on a mountain bike is in the blood of this veteran athlete. I’ve been cycling since 1992, but it wasn’t until 1999 that I couldn’t afford to own a proper and expensive racing bike. Stockl switched to more affordable mountain bikes and from there turned towards my passion. Set world records in the most unusual ways.
To successfully perform a steep descent of such high difficulty is very difficult. It took Stockl’s associates nearly 2 years to research every eligible desert road to perform, as well as check everything from body weight to even the racing car to make it as suitable as possible. Achieve the set goal of safety and reach the desired speed.
“The whole thing was carefully planned, but extremely adventurous, because the weather conditions in the desert are always changing and there are many uncertainties,” Stockl said. I cried when I successfully made the descent of my life.” Stockl also warned viewers not to imitate the steep descent like him, because the risk of getting into trouble is very high. Furthermore, when performing his unique stunts, Stockl also ensures maximum safety criteria such as wearing specially designed protective gear so that in case of an accident, serious injuries can be avoided. to casualties.
