Strong on the mountain
Let us turn the wheel of time half a century forward and land in the year 2024: Everyone is talking about superstar Tadej Pogacar everyone raves about the qualities of the Slovenian. A cyclist with the extraordinary talent, the unique pump (more on that later) and the climbing skills of Wolfgang Steinmayr would probably be one of the heroes of the country road and superstars of the cycling scene even today.
During his active time, the trained chef served up one success after another on his bike. At that time, the field was still divided into professionals and amateurs, but Steinmayr, a part-time cyclist, made the full-time participants look like hobby cyclists more than once.
Cycling legend himself Eddy Merckxthe notorious “cannibal” from Belgium, had bitten off more than he could chew against the lanky Tyrolean. From the Tourmalet to the Galibier – in the Tour de L’Avenir, the Tour de France for amateurs, Steinmayr raced up the same passes as the professionals. And he was often faster on his climbs than the five-time Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx. The newspaper The Team named the Austrian the best stage rider in the world and dedicated the front page to him.
Offer from the cannibal
The Belgian superstar made the Tyrolean amateur cyclist an offer several times and tried to lure Wolfgang Steinmayr into his professional team. But the Tyrolean had no interest in playing the water carrier and pedaling for Eddy Merckx. “Merckx asked me if I was crazy because I didn’t want to become a professional,” says Wolfgang Steinmayr. “They all didn’t understand. But I didn’t want to submit myself and ride around 50th place as a helper at the Tour de France.”
Especially since the amateur cyclist Wolfgang Steinmayr was already a real professional at the time. Not just on the bike, but also at the negotiating table. “I earned really well for the circumstances at the time and was able to build a great life for myself through sport.”
Big heart
The Austrian cycling tour electrified the country at the time. Especially the duel with the late Rudi Mittereggerthe second domestic cycling legend of this time, thrilled the crowds.
The ORF once even had the Glockner road closed for the two of them in order to find the real Glockner King. The duel was staged on a grand scale and broadcast using helicopter cameras. Only Rudi Mitteregger was not having his best day, which is why Wolfgang Steinmayr deliberately did not pedal at full speed in order to maintain the suspense for the television viewers. “If people want to see the big duel in sports on Monday, then one person cannot just ride off. I only accelerated at the end.”
The secret of the Tyrolean’s success was not only his endurance and toughness, Wolfgang Steinmayr also had an exceptionally big heart, as was discovered in a medical study in 1976. Even in international comparison, none of the sports stars of the 1970s could keep up with the Tyrolean’s “pump”. “My results were so good and special that I was a topic of discussion at medical conferences again and again after that,” says the 80-year-old.
Steinmayr’s heart still beats for cycling today. In Innsbruck, you can almost always see him whizzing around on two wheels, tanned and fitter than many who are half his age.
Unfortunately, Steinmayr was unable to enjoy his birthday present. A virus threw the birthday boy off track a few days before his bike tour from Davos to Venice. “Then I’ll just ride it to the 81st.”