The Downhill, Cross Country, and Short Track World Cups, as well as the 4X Pro Tour overall, are set to be decided from September 2nd to 4th in Daolasa di Commezzadura (Trentino, Northern Italy). Through two compensation projects in collaboration with Climate Partner, the UCI MTB World Cup finals will be Carbon Neutral
The curtain is about to rise on the Val di Sole UCI MTB World Cup's Grand Finale. After the unforgettable 2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, staged in 2021, Trentino is warming up for another major show, to be held in Daolasa di Commezzadura from September 2nd to 4th.
The anticipation for the Grand Finale of the MTB World Cup season is even hotter this year, with nearly all the final crowns still up for grabs and plenty of riders in contention. The home fans will be heard as well, as Luca Braidot and Eleonora Farina are expected to be in the run for what would be historical feats for Italian Mountain Biking.
Another highlight of Val di Sole 2022 concerns the environmental side: the 2022 Grand Finale will be the first UCI Mountain Bike World Cup event with a Carbon Neutral certification. The main themes of the late summer classic of Trentino's sports were presented in a press conference staged at the Trentino Marketing headquarters in Trento (Northern Italy), on Tuesday, August 23rd.
Among the guests and authorities attending the presentation in Trento were the Trentino's Sports and Tourism Assessor Roberto Failoni, the Trentino Italian Olympic Commitee President Paola Mora, the Val di Sole Tourism Board and Grandi Eventi Val di Sole President Luciano Rizzi, the Val di Sole Tourism Board and Grandi Eventi Val di Sole Director Fabio Sacco, the Grandi Eventi Val di Sole General Secretary Patrizia Daldoss and the DH athlete Alessandro Gadotti. The head of the sports department of the Italian Government Michele Sciscioli, the Italian Cycling Federation off-road Director Massimo Ghirotto and Italian Cycling Federation Councilor Giancarlo Masini have spoken via video link-up.
THREE DAYS OF EXCITEMENT
The Val di Sole weekend has plenty to offer to Mountain Bike lovers, with the final races of all the UCI MTB World Cup disciplines - Cross Country, Downhill, and Short Track - plus the final two rounds of the 4X Pro Tour, the most important Four-Cross series in the World. The Italian rounds will also provide a shot at redemption to those disappointed after the Les Gets' World Championships of the week before.
The program of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Finals will start on Friday, September 2nd with the Short Track races and the Four Cross night event, the first of the last two 4X Pro Tour rounds.
Instead, on Saturday, September 3rd, the Downhill stars will take the center stage in Val di Sole on the legendary Black Snake. Handling skills and gut will be on demand to pursue a win on the iconic Val di Sole track.
Last year, the Black Snake rewarded the experience of Greg Minnaar and Myriam Nicole with the Elite World Champion titles. This time, the race for the World Cup includes Amaury Pierron and Finn Iles, among men, and Camille Balanche, Valentina Höll, and Myriam Nicole among women. In the evening, Val di Sole will host the last round of the 4X Pro Tour.
On Sunday, September 4th, the Val di Sole program will close with the Olympic Cross Country races. The long-time king of the cross-country trails in Val di Sole is Nino Schurter, who won the World title last year in Val di Sole. The Swiss rider is also the World Cup leader ahead of the final round, with David Valero and Italy's Luca Braidot, winner of two World Cup stages this season in Lenzerheide and Andorra, still capable of a last-gasp comeback. Among Women, the race for the overall World Cup is still open to five athletes: Anne Terpstra, Rebecca McConnell, Alessandra Keller, Mona Mitterwallner and Jenny Rissveds.
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VAL DI SOLE AND THE ROAD TO CARBON NEUTRALITY
Over the years, Val di Sole has often assumed a leading role on future visions and environmental projects. In collaboration with Climate Partner, helping companies and events to implement projects for climate protection through specific and strategic solutions, the Val di Sole World Cup organizers, Val di Sole Tourist Board and Grandi Eventi Val di Sole, made the first step by calculating the emissions related to the UCI World Cup finals.
The emission calculation was performed by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard (GHG Protocol), an internationally recognized standard.
To organize a Carbon Neutral event, the emissions that cannot be reduced must be compensated by supporting carbon offsetting projects, third-party validated.
To organize a Carbon Neutral event, the emissions that cannot be broken down will be compensated by supporting carbon offsetting projects in Congo and Sierra Leone, third-party validated. The projects are linked to water, a fundamental resource for Val di Sole, a territory crossed by the Noce river and characterized by over one hundred lakes.
In Kono, Sierra Leone, the offsetting project has the goal of building drinking water wells, improving the people's life quality and breaking down the 10,000 tons of CO2 generated by the process of boiling water.
The offsetting project in the Virunga Natural Park in Congo will generate clean energy through the funding of a hydroelectric plant of 13 megawatts, avoiding the use of fossil fuels.
THE ECO-EVENTI TRENTINO CERTIFICATION
As in previous years, Val di Sole has received Trentino's Eco Events label. Val di Sole and the Province of Trento are committed to the protection of the environment and its natural beauties, with sustainable measures to reduce the impact of major events on the surrounding landscape.
Among the measures implemented by the World Cup finals organizers, the water coming from the Val di Sole mountains will be available free of charge thanks to two large wooden fountains in the event’s area. In addition, the organizing committee has implemented measures for waste separation, and created proper recycling areas. Among the initiatives, the use of plastic and biodegradable materials will be kept as low as possible.
The MTB fans will be encouraged to reach the event by bike or train: the Val di Sole World Cup event is easily accessible by train thanks to the railway line Trento-Male and the station of Daolasa, located 100 meters from the racing field.
Local ingredients from Trentino will characterize the gastronomic proposals of the restaurants and the hospitality area, including vegetarian and vegan dishes.
AN EVENT TO LIVE – ON THE RACING FIELD AND ON TV
As usual, MTB fans will watch the Val di Sole World Cup round on RedBull TV and many national broadcasters.
The many people willing to live the rush and the atmosphere on the racing field still have the opportunity to get their tickets online on the website.
