No manoeuvring, no catching your breath. No mercy. Just full throttle. That is all that counts at Rise & Fall in Mayrhofen, the extraordinary stage race in the mountains. Every participant pushes it to the limit on both the climb and the descent – while keeping their competitors in sight at all times. “That’s precisely what makes it so exciting”, comments head organiser Christoph Ebenbichler, the brainchild behind the event to be held on 15 December in Mayrhofen in the Zillertal Valley. This will mark the start to the season like never before. The ‘Rise & Fall’ teams are made up of four athletes: a biker, a paraglider, a ski mountaineer and a skier or snowboarder. The race motto: four people, one team, no mercy. The spectators are up-close to the action as the athletes fight for every second. “No one wants to lose face. Everyone pushes it to their limits,” states Benedikt Ebenbichler with conviction. The Ironman participant and brother of the organiser will himself take part on his mountain bike – and enjoy a completely new experience to that which he is used to as an endurance specialist.