The jump at Ramsau am Dachstein is getting a new Riedel approach track. The decision was made by the responsible parties last week after an extended planning and negotiation phase. The 90-meter-long approach is considered one of the steepest in international comparison. The new approach track will be built directly over the existing track, the future flight curve and thus the character of the hill should remain almost unchanged. The renovation work is to start in May 2019.
Yesterday, Tuesday, Peter Riedel, Mayor Ernst Fischbacher, Alois Stadlober (Sporting Director of the Ramsau Training Center) and Nordic combined athlete Franz-Josef Rehrl, who lives and trains in Ramsau am Dachstein, met for an on-site inspection in Ramsau am Dachstein. For Franz Josef Rehrl it is a great upgrade of his home training site: “For me it is perfect that now also finally my home hill gets a Riedel approach track. We train and jump in the World Cup already very often on such approach tracks. The previous track was very narrow and somewhat unusual compared to modern approach tracks. Moreover, you can train even earlier in autumn under winter-like conditions with the ice track. Simply perfect and a great upgrade for the training center here in Ramsau am Dachstein.”
Mayor Ernst Fischbacher welcomes the renewal of the approach track: “I am very proud that we will have a new track next spring. We chose a Riedel approach track because it is the market leader and already very successfully installed at many neighboring hills in Austria. Our training center is internationally known, so it is all the more important that we provide top infrastructure.”
In the same vein, the sporting director of the training center, Alois Stadlober: “The jump facility was built in 1995 for the World Championship (held in Ramsau am Dachstein in 1999). In recent years we have made small adaptations, but it has increasingly become difficult to obtain the FIS certificate. Now we have finally succeeded in building a new track. This allows us to position ourselves long-term as a Nordic training center and provide athletes with modern infrastructure. I have known Peter Riedel for a long time and highly value his work, which is why we chose his track.”
For Peter Riedel GmbH it is not the first project in the municipality of Ramsau am Dachstein. In 2013, a test track was implemented together with the ÖSV, located exactly beside the jump facility. On this test track it is possible to train the takeoff intensively without having to jump away. This allows athletes more runs to work on the takeoff and the approach. In a jump training session, you can only perform a few jumps in comparison.
Peter Riedel looks forward to the joint implementation of the project: “I am glad that after a long period of negotiations and planning it is finally time that we may build the track here in Ramsau am Dachstein next spring. We have already implemented the test track here in Ramsau together with the ÖSV. The cooperation with the training center and the municipality is very positive and I look forward to the next joint project.”