Three-time world MTB marathon world champion Mona Mitterwallner is heading to the road, signing with Human Powered Health Cycling.
The 22-year-old former junior and under-23 cross-county MTB world champion from Austria will balance asphalt and trail through 2026.
“I want to become the best cyclist in the world so I’ve always said road racing is part of my future,” says Mitterwallner. “It was always on my radar and now after the Olympics, I wanted to try something new. I wanted to get out of my old routine and see if I could improve as a rider.”
The Austrian was first on show with Human Powered Health at a training camp in December.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mona Mitterwallner to our team for her debut season in professional road cycling,” says Ro De Jonckere, General Manager. “Mona’s impressive achievements in mountain biking showcase her exceptional talent and determination.”
It was this plethora of skills that was noticed by the team.
“Her ability to excel in one of the most demanding disciplines of cycling at her young age is a testament to her strength and resilience,” continues De Jonckere. “We are excited to support her as she transitions to the road, and we are confident her winning mentality and versatility will make her a formidable presence in the peloton.”
Off-road, the 2024 Olympian has been a dominant force with five rainbow jerseys, four elite cross-country national wins, two elite XCO World Cup victories, two junior continental titles and 45 career race wins. Mitterwallner finished second in the last two elite European championships to Puck Pieterse [Fenix-Deceuninck] – a Tour de France stage winner whose success on the road helped motivate the Austrian to make the switch.
“I wanted a new challenge and to develop myself,” Mitterwallner explains. “I love climbing. In MTB you’re climbing for two or three minutes but in road racing you do it for over an hour. That’s something I want to try and I think I will be good at.”
Mitterwallner’s professional record on the road is thin, punctuated by the European Continental Championships under-23 road race in 2021, a race won by new teammate Silvia Zanardi.
“I’m looking forward to stage races,” she explains. “I’m good at doing repeated efforts day after day and in MTB you don’t get that so much. Racing full gas over a week is exciting. I want to see if I can recover as quickly as I think I can for racing the next day.”
As a youngster, Mitterwallner tried many sports including volleyball, hockey, ballet, and break dancing before at 14, her father introduced her to MTB. From there, she raced for her local club, finished second in her first race in Italy, was introduced to the adrenaline and euphoria of competing, and never looked back.
“I’m used to racing only 90 minutes so I’m used to going over the limit a lot, but over a longer race I hope I can taper and go into the red at more precise times,” she says. “I have good handling skills from MTB too so I’m hoping to be in the top 10% of riders on descents and just be super explosive too.”
Off the bike, Mitterwallner is into DJing – something she wishes to pursue after her racing career – and likes to ski mountaineer in the winter, bake, read, and cuddle with her cat Mila.
