One is one of the best-known and most dazzling winegrowers in Austria, the other a former professional cyclist. Leo Hillinger and Rene Haselbacher from Burgenland will compete in a team of two from November 8th to 10th, 2013 in the mountain bike stage race W2W (Wines2Whales) in South Africa.
The W2W is only completed by teams of two and leads from the Lourensford Estate - one of the largest wine farms in South Africa - over three stages of around 75 kilometers per day to the whale bay of Hermanus. Former professional cyclist Rene Haselbacher is contesting the race in his adopted country for the fourth time, for the first time with star winemaker Leo Hillinger. “It will be a great experience, especially for Leo. He is a very good friend of mine and has grown into an enthusiastic and strong cyclist. Our team is called Hillinger & RH77 Factory Team. A businessman and an ex-athlete - that's a great combination.", according to Haselbacher.
Leo Hillinger can't wait for the W2W experience that will take place near the Cape: “I am really looking forward to the race with Hasi. MTB is my big hobby and I am sure it will be wonderful to bike from the South African wine regions to the whales in Hermanus!” We support the Hillinger & RH77 Factory Team from the bike shop Mountainbiker.at.
They are also pursuing a good cause in the race. November is dedicated to men's cancer relief around the world – Movember! “Men from all over the world grow mustaches as a sign of a donation, just like Leo and I do. We want to help with this, the action https://at.movember.com/ to make it even better known. We will soon be sending the first beard photos to Austria.", Haselbacher describes the action.