Tour of Innsbruck: Achterbahn
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Tour of Innsbruck: Achterbahn

ON August 29, 2018 by Matt Noble



Achterban is German for “rollercoaster,” and rightly so on the Tour of Innsbruck. This Figure 8 route covers every centimeter of the course — in both directions. You’ll hit the steep Reverse KOM segment, followed by the Forward KOM segment, and go for the sprint in both directions. Yeah, we know. Sounds manic, but there are jerseys for the taking.

Pace is important on this one. Stay adequately hydrated as you’ll tackle the mountain, twice. What’s nice is the new cropping of architectural landmarks to appreciate along the way.

Head up the mountain to the KOM. Look to your right and wonder aloud: WHAT IS THAT? That’s the Swarovski Crystal Worlds Giant. This mammoth face was constructed piece-by-piece. 3D Artist Chris Silber led the charge without taking any shortcuts.

“This was one of the more complicated structures in Innsbruck,” he said. “We built 8 different sizes and types of leaves along virtual vines. I created different strands and then rendered them as a texture, making adjustments to make it feel like actual living ivy.”

A new fan texture was also created for the floor. In total, over 10,000 polygons and lots of layering hours went into the prop.

There are 2 more can’t miss items on this route.

The Kufstein Fortress. Built circa 1200, many families fought over the strategic location. This September, the site will be another battleground featuring riders from the pro peloton. Coming from the clockwise direction, the Fortress will be at the halfway mark of your descent.

The Bergisel Ski Jump. This site draws thousands of spectators each year to watch skiers jump over 130m! Around since the 1920s, today’s jump was designed by late architect Zaha Hadid in 2001.

Explore more routes of the Tour of Innsbruck.

Innsbruck KOM segments:

Climb KOM the fastest is awarded the red polka dot jersey.

Forward Climb KOM

  • Distance – 4.6 miles // 7.4 km
  • Elevation – 1311 ft // 400 m
  • Avg grade – 7%
  • Max Grade – 12 %

Reverse Climb KOM

  • Distance – 3.54 miles // 5.7 km
  • Elevation – 1303 ft // 396 m
  • Avg grade – 8%
  • Max Grade – 16%

Sprint KOM the fastest is awarded the green jersey.

Sprint Forward KOM

    – Heading towards the Cable Carts with the river on the right

  • Distance – 0.18 miles // 0.3 km
  • Elevation – 6.6 ft // 2 m
  • Avg grade – 0.7%

Sprint Reverse KOM

    – Heading away from the Cable Carts with the river on the left

  • Distance – 0.1m
  • Elevation – -1ft
  • Avg grade – 0%

Explore more routes of the Tour of Innsbruck.