VERMIGLIO (VAL DI SOLE – TRENTINO), 29 August 2016 – Eyes looking at France in the Trials team race that will be held tomorrow at the San Leonardo lakes in Vermiglio and will open the 2016 UCI Mountain bike&Trials World Championships Val di Sole. The French athletes are the current champions in this sport. They won in Andorra on the podium with Switzerland and Germany. But tomorrow on the new race course on the San Giacomo plain in Vermiglio, that meny experts consider an artwork. Spain, Czech Republic and Japan will aim at the podium too. Then from Wednesday the Cross country World Masters will start and on Friday and Saturday the Trials individual event will be held.
ITALY WANTS TO DEFEND THEIR FIFTH GAINED IN 2015. The Italian quartet consisting of Diego Bani (Elite 26”) from Bergamo, Francesco Policante (Elite 20”) from Lazise – Verona, Italian champion Giulio Porcario (Jr 26”) from Ivrea and the Italian vice champion Stefano Ravarelli (jr 20”) from Milano. There is also Italy’s champion Andrea Pilo from Milano. All trained well in Val di Sole to try and improve their fifth place in Andorra 2015. A long training camp that ended with the performance done during Naples football team training in July. “Last year the race was something new and we took advantage of the situation – explains Italian team manager Angelo Rocchetti – here in Val di Sole we feel at home and finishing fifth again would be a positive result. Then of course we have to do a good race. I wish to express my congratulations to the organizers because the course is really technical, interesting, with good new style. There are some passages that need strength which will certainly favour nations with a better technique: France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic and Japan. As to our athletes, I only hope it doesn’t rain, we are not used to race in wet conditions, I hope it’s going to be sunny”.
THE SECTION OF THE TEAM RACE FEATURES FIVE BLOCKS TO NEGOTIATE, each one has four different levels of difficulty awarding between 10 and 40 points. It is fundamental to avoid mistakes. If the competitor puts his foot on the ground he is eliminated and cannot finish the section, he can only have the points clinched up to that moment. As explained by Marco Patrizi, one of the Trials experts in Italy, “it’s a race that matches the tactics with strength. It is fundamental to choose the difficulty and the score for each block to try getting the highest score possible. You must choose between a high score but high risk or low risk and low score”.
A COMPLETELY NATURAL RACE COURSE WITH WATER STONES AND WOOD “This area called Laghetti di Vermiglio is an enviable location for its natural features – explains Bordati – and nearness to the village. Nature just around the corner. With the team of volunteers and course designers we have tried to use all the natural elements available in this area: already existing stones and rocks, water and wood, carved like an artwork. The Vermigliana river course will play host to the semi-finals while the area close to the Centro Fondo will be the location for the final, technically more demanding. And here wood replaces water, another natural element in Val di Sole. There is a section made with concrete blocks, specifically created upon request of UCI to increase the technical difficulties of the race”.
THE NEW TRIALS PARK HAS BEEN DESIGNED IN RECORD TIME by the Committee headed by Aldo Bordati. On the plain with the lakes and the river a stunning race course has been created using all the natural resources available: wood, rocks, ponds and streams. The race course is also characterized by a two pieces of artwork, created by an artist from Vermiglio, Lino Mosconi and put together by the volunteers under the supervision of the section designer Marco Patrizi: the Trentino section reminds of a huge Shangai game, with the trunks instead of the sticks, carved with the colours of the Chinese game; the second section was created with the giant letters forming the name Val di Sole. In the middle there are two more sections called Ski Tonale and Hde-Hydro Dolomiti Energia, consisting of huge rocks and a turbine for the production of hydroelectric energy.
MTB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WHERE NORDIC SKIING WORLD CUP WAS HELD. In the Vermiglio plain, where the Masters Cross country course is located, in the past Mtb Italian international races and the legendary Nordic Skiing World Cup event took place. Some of the greatest Italian athletes skied here: Giorgio Vanzetta, Maurilio De Zolt, Ploner, Polvara…. Manuela Di Centa and the other women champions. The Val di Sole Trophy is part of Nordic skiing history since it was the first event featuring in 1988 the Gundersen Combined with a 15Km classic technique race and one (the day after) 15Km free technique. The winner was Gunde Svan, who said the race was too tactical, ahead of Torgny Mogren and the great Norwegians Mikkelsplass and Vegard Ulvang. The future Olympic champions Silvio Fauner, Giorgio Vanzetta, Marco Albarello and Maurilio De Zolt finished after the 10th position. Today mountain bikes replaces cross-country skis, at least in the summer. But the champions’ story continues…
TRIALS is a very enthralling event. It is always an individual race, and it does not take place on a long track as for instance cross-country or on a steep slope, as downhill, but on a limited section. It can be completely natural, inside a quarry or man-made, in any case it has to be designed for the purpose. Two special bikes are used according to their wheels size: 20” and 26”. Riders attempt to pass through an obstacle course with different levels within a certain time limit. Results depend on the time employed and number of penalty points received. Riders must not make mistakes, they have to smoothly negotiate each sections without touching the ground with their feet or other part of their bodies in order to obtain the lowest number of penalties.
Alberto Penasa - Azienda Turismo Val di Sole
Viale Marconi, 7 - 3827 - Malè - (TN)
Tel. +39.0463.900863 - Fax +39.0463.901563
www.valdisole.net - penasa.a@valdisole.net
