Val di Sole and Trentino are ready for an exciting UCI Cyclocross World Cup round 10. Tomorrow, December 16th, the event starts with the first session of free practice at San Leonardo Lakes in advance of the two races scheduled for Saturday, December 17th. Mathieu Van der Poel is the top name for this spectacular event, which can be enjoyed on TV as well as in-person. Tickets are only available from the website www.valdisolebikeland.com
Vermiglio’s atmosphere is typically pre-Christmas in Trentino, but attention isn’t focused on skiing this time. After all, we are in Val di Sole, the land of snow-capped mountains at this time of the year, but it’s still the Italian capital for offroad cycling. This sensational mix has found its “theatre of dreams” in Vermiglio since 2021.
The San Leonardo Lakes, located on the road between Vermiglio and the Tonale Pass, will host the Italian round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup series for the second year in a row. With tomorrow’s free practice (Friday, December 16), Val di Sole gets ready to welcome back the stars of cycling. On Saturday, December 17, the program features round 10 of the World Cup series in a unique event to be raced entirely on a snow-covered course.
This ambitious project’s main players are Grandi Eventi Val di Sole and the Val di Sole Tourism Board, organizers for the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Finals and the 2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, in collaboration with the Pontedilegno-Tonale Consortium, and Flanders Classics, the organizing company of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup.
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Last year’s races showcased the Trentino event’s potential as well as a new cyclocross format renamed “Snowcross” by the British press. After all, if the dream for cyclocross is to enter the winter Olympics, the Val di Sole event represents the testing ground for strengthening these ambitions. However, the fans’ attention is already focused on Saturday’s elite races (the women's competition starts at 13:00 CET, the men's at 14:30 CET) and the long-awaited arrival of Mathieu Van der Poel, the superstar of this exciting weekend.
The Dutchman is set to return to Val di Sole three years after his last appearance in the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, with the goal to repeat the same result: to win.
On a course that’s 3000 meters long and features 50 meters of climbing, the main contenders are the specialists from Belgium, starting with teammate Gianni Vermeersch, gravel world champion, Eli Iserbyt, World Cup series leader, Laurens Sweeck, and European champion, Michael Vanthourenhout. The German racer, Marcel Meisen, who’s always at ease when racing in Italy, is not be underestimated, while Gioele Bertolini is clearly the standout Italian along with youngster, Lorenzo Masciarelli.
Among the women, the big favorites are the Dutch athletes, who have been ruling the mud season so far. The most anticipated is without a doubt, Fem van Empel, last year's winner in Vermiglio and the undisputed queen of the World Cup season with six wins out of nine races so far. Compatriots Puck Pieterse and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, Canada's Maghalie Rochette, Hungary's multi-talented Kata Blanka Vas, Italy's Silvia Persico (bronze medalist in ‘cross at the last World Championships in the United States), and the more experienced Italian racer, Eva Lechner, will try to challenge van Empel.
CYCLOCROSS MOVES TOWARD CARBON NEUTRALITY
When it comes to the future and environmental challenges, Val di Sole has often taken the lead over the years. Just last summer, the collaboration with Climate Partner led to the first totally carbon neutral world cup mountain bike event.
The organizers of Grandi Eventi Val di Sole and Val di Sole Tourism Board decided to introduce the "carbon neutral" project in cyclocross as well by calculating the greenhouse gas emissions related to the World Cup in Vermiglio. Emissions were calculated based on the "Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard" (GHG Protocol), a globally recognized protocol.
In order to achieve a "carbon neutral" event, unabated emissions will be offset by supporting a forest conservation project in Colombia.
VAL DI SOLE SNOWCROSS RIDES WITH OUTSTANDING PARTNERS
Once again, many brands have strengthened their partnerships with Flanders Classics and the organizers of Italy's only world cup cyclocross event, Grandi Eventi Val di Sole and Val di Sole Tourism Board for the 2022/23 UCI Cyclocross World Cup.
Val di Sole's official partners include the city of Trentino and cycling brands such as Giant (bike partner of Val di Sole Bikeland), Alé Cycling, Selle Italia, and Würth Modyf. Also included in this list are Vermiglio Vacanze and the Pontedilegno-Tonale Consortium, which supports the organization in managing the event.
Major Japanese company, Shimano, is another cutting-edge brand in the cycling world associated with Flanders Classics and the UCI Cyclocross World Cup. Ethias, Bingoal, Toyo Tires, Pauwels, Stihl, A-ware Food Group, Viessmann, Simac, and Kwaremont beer round out the roster of partners for the world's top cyclocross series.
A NEW EXPO AREA IN VERMIGLIO
The cyclocross world cup event in Val di Sole has been equipped with a new expo area positioned at course side, just a few steps from the new awards location. Inside the expo area, fans will be able to find the latest Giant and Liv branded bike models and Alé branded sportswear, as well as numerous exhibitors and gastronomic specialties from Val di Sole.
THE FUN NEVER STOPS IN VERMIGLIO
The program for the Italian cyclocross world cup event begins on Friday, December 16, with a free practice session from 2 to 4 p.m. Then on Saturday, December 17 and simultaneously with the free practice session (11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.), the Mystic Owls with their Irish music will take the stage, starting at 11:30 a.m.
Following the two world cup races (elite women at 1 p.m. and elite men at 2:30 p.m.) and the award ceremonies, the program will continue at 4 p.m. with another side event: the riders' party inside the heated tent with lots of Turbo Folk & Roll music.
TICKETS ON SALE AT WWW.VALDISOLEBIKELAND.COM
Tickets for Saturday, December 17, are on sale exclusively online for €15 at www.valdisolebikeland.com, with free admission for fans under 12 years of age upon registering on the ticketing platform.
