Photo: Amaury Pierron will look for a repeat success in Val di Sole on the famous Black Snake track (Credits: Alice Russolo) - Free editorial usage granted with credits. Click on the image to download it
For more than a decade now, World-class Mountain Bike has found its Italian home in Val di Sole, Trentino. The Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will celebrate its only Italian stage from August 2nd to 4th in Daolasa di Commezzadura (Trentino).
The event was officially presented in Trento, at the Trentino Marketing’s headquarter, featuring Trentino Sports and Tourism Assessor Roberto Failoni, Trentino Marketing CEO Maurizio Rossini, Val di Sole Tourist Board and Grandi Eventi Val di Sole President Luciano Rizzi, Val di Sole Tourist Board Director Fabio Sacco, Italian Cycling Federation Offroad Responsible Paolo Garniga, Commezzadura’s deputy-Major Marco Podetti, Grandi Eventi Val di Sole Responsible Patrizia Daldoss and Italian Downhill rider Eleonora Farina.
This time more than ever, lots of enthusiasm and expectations surround the World Cup stage in Val di Sole, opening another three-year cicle of top events, culminating with a third MTB World Championship (Downhill, Cross Country and Four-Cross) in 13 years in 2021. The performances and results by the Italian riders, both in Cross Country and Downhill, make the local fans dream of a memorable result on the home soil.
The World Cup in Val di Sole involves over 20.000 spectators over a weekend: an organizing team of 50 people, supported by 200 volunteers, sets up an intense program, featuring many different disciplines. About 1000 athletes are expected to compete over the Val di Sole weekend, covered by 100 accredited media, with over 30.000 people arriving in Val di Sole on the occasion.
On Friday August 2nd, the program will be opened by the Cross Country Short Track Race, followed in the evening by the Four-Cross World Championship race.
Saturday August 3rd it will be Downhill time on the famous Black Snake track, possibly the toughest in the whole World Cup circus: in 2018, the Val di Sole Downhill event was awarded as the season’s best event in the specialty by the UCI. Frenchmen Amaury Pierron– 2018 winner – and World Champion Loic Bruni are expected to feature big among men, whilst Tracey Hannah should be regarded as big favorite among women, with Italian Veronika Widmann and Eleonora Farina hoping to repeat and improve their recent podium displays.
On Saturday afternoon, the eBike Short Track will be disputed for the first time, leading up to the discipline’s first World Championship in September, with Marco Aurelio Fontana on the starting grid.
Cross Country will wrap up the program on Sunday. World Champion Nino Schurter has dominated the Italian course in the years, with six wins out of seven chances, but Italian Gerhard Kerschbaumer is looking to put on a battle like he did in the last round in Les Gets. Among Women, former World Champion Jolanda Neff, and current rainbow jersey Kate Courtney are expected to another clash.
Trento, Tuesday July 23rd, 2019
Photo: A group picture at the presentation press conference. From left: Paolo Garniga, Beatrice Agostini, Maurizio Rossini, Patrizia Daldoss, Eleonora Farina, Luciano Rizzi, Fabio Sacco, Marco Podetti (Credits: Dario Andreis) - Free editorial usage granted with credits. Click on the image to download it
Photo: Gerhard Kerschbaumer is expected to aim big in the Cross Country race in his home event (Credits: Michele Mondini) - Free editorial usage granted with credits. Click on the image to download it
