Adrenaline-packed winter relay pits human vs mountain in four disciplines

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SHOWS: MAYRHOFEN, AUSTRIA (DECEMBER 14, 2019) (EYESPRINT - NO RESALES)

1. SKI MOUNTAINEERS SETTING OUT AT THE START OF THE 2019 RISE&FALL EVENT

2. VARIOUS OF SKI MOUNTAINEERS GOING UP MOUNTAIN

3. WERNER MARTI (SUI) FROM TEAM 2, MAKES FIRST TAG TO PARAGLIDE TEAM MATE, CHRISTIAN MAURER (SUI) TEAM 2

4. VARIOUS OF MAURER PARAGLIDING DOWN HILL

5. VARIOUS OF MAURER LANDING FIRST AND SPRINTING TO MAKE NEXT TAG

6. MAURER MAKES TAG TO MOUNTAIN BIKING TEAM MATE, MARC STUTZMANN (SUI) TEAM 2

7. DANIEL GEISMAYR (AUT) TEAM 1OVERTAKES STUTZMANN

8. GEISMAYR TAGS SKIING TEAM MATE, MARKUS EDER (ITA) TEAM 1

9. VARIOUS OF DOWNHILL SKI, EDER GETS TO THE BOTTOM AHEAD OF KUNZI

10. KUNZI CROSSING LINE FOR TEAMWORK SWITZERLAND

11. SKIER ANNA-LENA RIMI (AUT) CROSSING LINE FOR MOUNTAINSHOP HORHAGER LADIES, FIRST WOMEN'S TEAM TO CROSS

STORY: Teams of four took on each other and the mountains in an adrenaline-packed relay in Mayrhofen, Austria on Saturday (December 14) that combined ski mountaineering, paragliding, mountain biking and downhill skiing.

The 8th annual RISE&FALL event fielded 78 teams of four with a total of 312 athletes from all over Europe.

Teamwork Switzerland and Team Red Bull were at the head of the pack from the beginning with Teamwork Switzerland holding a slight edge over Team Red Bull coming out of the 1.3 kilometre (0.80 mile) ski mountaineering run.

They held that slight lead after the paragliding heat saw paragliders follow a pre-planned corridor down the side of the mountain and the subsequent 400 metre sprint to make the mountain bike tag.

But Team Red Bull took the lead during 3.7 kilometre (2.3 mile) mountain biking heat which took the teams 430 meters (1,400 feet) back up the mountain.

Now with the lead, Team Red Bull never looked back finishing the final, downhill ski run and short obstacle course in record time (38:46.8) just ahead of their nearest rivals.

Toni Palzer (ski mountaineering), Aaron Durogati (paragliding), Daniel Geismayr (mountain biking) and Markus Eder (skiing) gave Team Red Bull their second win in a row at the event.

Teamwork Switzerland finished second at 39:07.8 minutes followed by ARONIALAND - SPORT AUER at 41:08.8 minutes.

Sarah Dreier (ski mountaineering), Stephanie Kröll (paragliding), Christina Sautner (mountain biking) and Anna-Lena Riml (skiing) won the Women's event for Team Mountainshop Horhager Ladies at 55:19.1 minutes.

(Production: Kurt Michael Hall)