From Empty Space to Race-Ready: Behind-the-Scenes with MS-RACING at the MTB World Cup

Leogang, Austria - By the time the first spectators line the course and athletes begin fighting for every crucial second, another demanding part of a World Cup weekend has already been completed.

A look behind-the-scenes with Markus Stöckl, founder and team owner of MS-RACING, and BOA®, follows the transformation of an empty paddock space into a fully operational World Cup team base – revealing the precision, teamwork and physical effort required before the first training session even begins.

Building the Foundation for Race Weekend

Where bikes will later be serviced, race strategies discussed and final preparations made, there is initially little more than an empty space.

Within a matter of days, the MS-RACING crew transforms it into a fully equipped team base designed to support athletes, mechanics and staff throughout an intense Mountain Bike World Cup weekend.

One of the first challenges is also one of the biggest: dozens of teams, trucks and containers arriving at the same time and start positioning their team paddocks. Material gets lifted from the truck by cranes, workers sworm around and Markus in the middle keeping the structure and checking containers are placed precisely before the rest of the setup can begin.

From there, the paddock takes shape piece by piece. Platforms are assembled, structures aligned, workbenches installed, tools organized and spare parts systematically arranged.

Every detail has its place. Because once the athletes arrive, the focus shifts entirely to race performance.

Performance Starts Before the Starting Gate

Behind the scenes, setting up a World Cup paddock is physically demanding work.

The crew spends hours lifting, carrying, kneeling and climbing while working across gravel and uneven surfaces. Tight schedules and changing weather add another layer of complexity. Throughout it all, stable and controlled movement matters.

It is also where two worlds come together. The demands may be different, but both elite sport and professional work environments depend on precision, efficiency and equipment engineered around the person using it.

For the MS-RACING crew, that includes safety footwear featuring the BOA® Fit System. Its micro-adjustable precision fit helps create a more secure connection between foot and footwear, supporting energy efficiency, stability and control throughout demanding working days.

Performance Fit Beyond the Race Course

The Solid Gear Sonar WRP Low worn by the crew features the BOA® PerformFit™ Wrap, a configuration designed around the interaction between the foot and the shoe rather than simply the closure itself.

Independent panels wrap uniformly over the foot, locking in the heel and increasing connection to the midsole. The result is a more precise and secure fit engineered to reduce unwanted movement and support efficient, controlled performance.

Ready to Race

Once the structures are complete, tools are in place and bikes are prepared, the paddock is ready for the athletes to arrive.

What looks routine during race weekend is the result of meticulous preparation and a crew working long before the first rider leaves the starting gate.

A Mountain Bike World Cup is therefore about much more than what happens between the tape. Behind every race are mechanics, technicians and team staff whose work creates the environment in which athletes can perform at the highest level.

For MS-RACING, that preparation begins days before the race itself – transforming an empty space into the operational heart of the team and laying the groundwork for everything that follows on the mountain.

Watch the Video