Dark clouds over Innsbruck: mountain bikers refuse to open the trail
The resentment in the Innsbruck mountain bike scene is blatant. Since this spring, forest and county government inspectors have been patrolling popular (but illegal) mountain bike trails. The officials detain sinful mountain bikers until the police come and then issue tickets.
The crux is just this: There are only two legal options for mountain bikers in the city of Innsbruck. All the rest is illegal without exception. The two official trails were created on the initiative of the mountain bikers (against considerable resistance), they are the Arzler Alm Trail and the Hungerburg Trail. The legendary Nordkette single trail was closed again at the same time. In short: legal mountain biking is practically impossible in the sports city of Innsbruck. However, this does not prevent the tourism department from describing the region as «Bike hotspot of the Northern Alps» to title – an almost brazen sham.
The Stadtwald Trail is now the third trail in the group and has been completed so far. Only the opening ceremony became an eclat after the mountain bikers turned away from the project under protest because of the rigorous punishments by the city authorities. With the refusal, politicians have avoided the shame of opening an offer in which the target group refuses to be present in corpore.
Further information:
derstandard.at/story/2000135702379/frust-statt-celebration-trail-opening-in-innsbruck-short-term-cancelled