On Thursday 8th and Friday 9th September, Porretta Terme will be stage finish and start of 2022 Appenninica MTB Stage Race (4-10 September). The town in the Province of Bologna is home to ASD Happy Trail MTB, the organizing company of the stage race in the Emilia-Romagna Apennines
The Emilia-Romagna Apennines are the theatre of the Appenninica MTB Stage Race, and Porretta Terme is home to ASD Happy Trail MTB, the organizing company of the event. That’s why the mountain bike stage race feels at home any time it reaches Porretta Terme: in 2022, the thermal town in the Province of Bologna will be in the spotlight on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th September.
Unlike previous years, the 2022 edition will get to Porretta Terme in the second half of the race. On Thursday, September 8th, the course of the fifth stage, 67 kilometres and 2200 metres of total elevation gain, will start from Fanano (Modena) and will immediately face the ascent towards Fellicarolo, before approaching a technical descent towards the valley of the Ospitale river. From there onwards, the stage will follow the so-called “Gothic Line”, theatre of resistance clashes during the Second World War. Before reaching Porretta Terme, the athletes will engage in the ascent to the picturesque village of Monteacuto delle Alpi, and then launch themselves into two descents: a more technical one first, towards Castelluccio, and a second one, faster, that will head straight to the finish line.
On the following day, Friday September 9th, Porretta Terme will host the start of the sixth stage: Il Corno (The Horn). 63 km long and with 2700 metres of altitude difference, the main protagonist of the stage finishing in Lizzano in Belvedere will be the Corno alle Scale ski area. The stage presents a tough first section with around 30 km of uphill forest roads, to be ridden in untouched nature. At about km 37, the race will turn into a more technical challenge, facing the demanding climb of the Passo dello Stofinatoio (6 km long and 600 metres altitude difference, including a 500 metres portage stint). From there, the athletes will reach the Scaffaiolo Lake before nosediving through trails and single tracks sections towards the finish line.
“Once again, Porretta Terme will host Appenninica MTB Stage Race – commented Giuseppe Nanni, mayor of Alto Reno Terme – Appenninica is now a well-established event, whose roots are grounded in our territory. This adds an extra motivation for us to support this event, an international competition that enhances our wonderful area involving also sectorial media. I wish good luck to all the Appenninica staf and ridersf: Porretta Terme is ready to welcome you!”.
PORRETTA TERME TREATS YOUR SOUL
Among its many facets, Porretta Terme is well-known for its SPA centres and for its water, rich in mineral elements. Even today, it is still possible to visit the underground springs, discovering the secrets of the subsoil and the path of the thermal water. In addition, thanks to the recent collaboration with the Gruppo Monti Salute Più, which is an important Bologna-based company for health and wellness that is renovating the thermal centre, it will be possible for athletes to stay in the Porretta facilities at the end of the fifth stage.
“For Gruppo Monti Salute Più, Porretta Terme is an important hub,” commented Antonio Monti, the company’s Scientific Director, “as we have taken over the ancient thermal centre and we are now aiming to bring it back to the magnificence of the first half of the 20th century, when it was a real gem for the entire area. Collaborating with events like Appenninica, that share our values of sports, mobility and a healthy relationship between humans and environment trhough the Natura World project, allows us to further convey our message and give a boost to an initiative that enhances this territory”.
Furthermore, Porretta Terme can also boast an international music event, the Porretta Soul Festival. Every year since more than 30 years, this festival gathers the best soul and rhythm & blues artists on the international scene, establishing itself as a cult event for the whole town and province.
