Appenninica MTB Stage Race is ready to return to Fanano, a host town always present since the first edition. On Tuesday, 6 September, Fanano will host the arrival of the High Mountain Queen Stage, while on Wednesday, 7 September, there will be the fun of “Pippo Yeah 2.0”, whose course has been set by Pierpaolo “Pippo” Marani

With Castelnovo ne’ Monti and Porretta Terme, Fanano (Modena) is the other stage venue present in every edition of the Appenninica MTB Stage Race so far. The resort in the Modena Apennines will host the mountain bike stage race again during the next edition, scheduled from 4 to 10 September 2022.

After the first three stages in Castelnovo ne’ Monti, the finish line of the High Mountain Queen Stage, the most anticipated stage in the program, will be in Fanano on Tuesday, 6 September. 106 km and 3650 meters of total elevation gain are expected to say a lot about the outcome of the stage race in the Emilia-Romagna Apennines. After a first part in the Province of Reggio Emilia, through the Monte Cusna area and the climb of Monte Giovarello, the race will enter the Province of Modena, reaching the Passo Radici. From here, before the finish line in Piazza Corsini, the athletes will tackle the climb up to Pian Cavallaro, at the foot of Monte Cimone, and then head downhill towards Fanano. 

On Wednesday, 7 September, the “Pippo Yeah 2.0” will offer participants a fun-filled stage according to the style of its creator: famous trail builder Pier Paolo “Pippo” Marani. Along the 55 km and 2200 meters of elevation gain, there will be two challenging climbs to tackle. First, the athletes will ascend to the Colombino Pass (14 km and 900 meters of elevation gain), then tackle a beautiful single track to the hamlet of Ospitale. From there starts the second ascent under one of the most beautiful beech forests of the Apennines towards the Passo della Croce Arcana. In the finale, the route passes the scenic Scaffaiolo Lake and Patrignano Lake with an unmissable view over the valley to the finish in Fanano.

On Thursday, 8 September, Fanano will instead greet the Appenninica MTB Stage Race caravan with the start of the stage entitled “Gothic Line“, which will end in Porretta Terme (BO) crossing the Gothic Line, a theatre of the Second World War. 67 km and 2200 meters of elevation gain that start strong by repeating the climb towards Fellicarolo and then return to the valley of the Ospitale stream through a series of technical descents, before a continuous up and down along the Gothic Line.

“Fanano is proud to host Appenninica MTB Stage Race again this year. This is the only sporting event of an international scale that takes place in our area, and it allows us to give great visibility to the Monte Cimone area. Athletes arrive from Europe and beyond every year to discover our trails and territory. The Appenninica MTB Stage Race is a fundamental moment for promoting tourism in the area”, says the Mayor of Fanano, Stefano Muzzarelli.  

FANANO, BETWEEN MONTE CIMONE AND FELICE PEDRONI

Fanano is linked to the Monte Cimone ski resort, where it is possible to practice winter sports, trekking, mountain biking, and outdoor sports. Orange flagged by the Italian Touring Club since 2001, the town in the Province of Modena is also rich in history and culture with the Pieve di San Silvestro and the Church of San Giuseppe. 

However, Fanano’s name is also associated with gold prospector Felice Pedroni, who made his fortune in Alaska by finding the largest gold deposit in the area. There, he founded the town of Fairbanks, where most of the population was dedicated to gold panning.

The Marathon MTB vice-World Champion chose Appenninica MTB Stage Race (4-10 September 2022) as final dress rehearsal ahead of the World Championships in Haderslev (Denmark). The Hubbers-Polimedical’s Colombian looks forward to his debut on the Emilia-Romagna Apennines

Pursuing goals and turning them from dreams into reality requires lots of commitment and effort. Team Hubbers-Polimedical’s Colombian Diego Arias has chosen the challenging Appenninica MTB Stage Race 2022 (4-10 September 2022) as his final test before chasing his dream of becoming Marathon World Champion.

After his second place at the 2021 World Championships in Capoliveri, the strong Colombian athlete has stepped into a new dimension, and has opted for the altimetric and technical difficulties of the Italian stage race in the Emilia-Romagna Apennines as litmus test before another rainbow charge. Hig goal will be to refine his condition for the 2022 UCI Marathon MTB World Championships, scheduled eight days after the conclusion of Appenninica, on 18 September 2022 in Haderslev, Denmark.

“I think facing the Appenninica MTB Stage Race with the right concentration and spirit can be a great preparation for the World Championships. If we do things right, I think we will arrive in Denmark in top shape. A race like Appenninica must be prepared very well, and you have to be able to manage your energy day after day. It will be crucial to arrive clear-headed at the end of the week”, says the Marathon MTB vice-World Champion.

Diego Arias has had a good season so far, with the highlights of the overall success at the Rally di Sardegna, the recent victory at the Assietta Legend and a remarkable second place at the Hero Südtirol Dolomites. There’s little doubt he will line up in Castelnovo ne’ Monti as one of the top favorites for the 2022 Appenninica overall crown.

“My goal is to perform well and fight for the general classification, or at least a place on the podium. I looked at the stages, and it certainly looks like a very hard race. I haven’t red circled any day in particular, we will have to think day by day”, Arias explained.

It will be the first time for the Hubbers-Polimedical team as well at Appenninica, and they hope to hit the ground running.

“We have decided to participate in the Appenninica MTB Stage Race 2022 because we believe it is a well organised event, and the perfect dress rehearsal for the Marathon MTB World Championships. We will be at the start with the aim of performing well and enjoying the beautiful landscapes of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines”, said Hubbers-Polimedical Team Manager Gianfranco Bechis.

In 2022, the town in the province of Reggio Emilia will host the start of the Appenninica MTB Stage Race (4-10 September) for the first time. The athletes will kick things off with three days in the shadow of the Bismantova Rock

The story of Appenninica MTB Stage Race continues in Castelnovo ne’ Monti. After staging the grand finale of the last two editions, the town in the Province of Reggio Emilia will hold the start of the 2022 race (September 4-10, 2022) in the shadow of the Bismantova Rock, the iconic mountain to which Dante’s Purgatory was inspired. 

Having been a stage venue of Appenninica every year since the first edition, Castelnovo ne’ Monti showed a neat commitment to the format of the mountain bike stage race on the trails of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines. This time, Castelnovo will welcome the Appenninica family for no less than three days of racing. 

The first two stages will run along the popular trails of the Reggio Emilia Apennines, highlighting an area rich in history and charm. The much-anticipated third stage, the High Mountain Queen Stage, will also start from Castelnovo ne’ Monti.

On Saturday, September 3rd, the central Piazza Gramsci will already come alive with the preliminary operations and the expo area with all the local associations involved in promoting outdoor activities.

Piazza Gramsci will be the venue of the start and finish of the first stage on Sunday, September 4th, when the athletes will ride through the territories of Matilda di Canossa’s reign, among castles and ancient routes. La Matildica, with its 52 km and 1850 meters of elevation gain, will warm the athletes’ legs around the iconic Bismantova Rock, touching the Castle of Carpineti. It will be continuous hilly ups and downs alongside Monte Fosola and the long bank of the Secchia river.

The following day, Monday, September 5th, another loop stage with start and finish in Castelnovo ne’ Monti will take place. The 62 kilometers and 2350 meters of elevation gain of The Rock stage will considerably raise the bar, through the ascent to the Monte Ventasso and the passage over the scenic Calamone Lake before reaching the crest of the Monte Pastorale. Again, a sequence of ups and downs will take the athletes from the highest point of the course back to the finish line. 

On Tuesday, September 6th, Castelnovo ne’ Monti will greet the Appenninica MTB Stage Race caravan before the athletes tackle the most challenging stage of the 2022 edition, the High Mountain Queen Stage (105 km and 3650 meters of elevation gain) with arrival in Fanano (Modena). On the route, Passo della Cisa, Monte Cusna, and Pian Cavallaro are just some of the difficulties that could completely overturn the general classification.  

“We are delighted to host the Appenninica MTB Stage Race in Castelnovo ne’ Monti for the fourth straight year. We believe mountain biking has the Apennines as its territory of choice, with routes in untouched natural environments, through towns and villages rich in history, art, and culture, inhabited by welcoming people. Sports are a key vehicle to the promotion of these territories: we look forward to having the participants of Appenninica MTB Stage Race back with us in September,” said Enrico Bini, mayor of Castelnovo ne’ Monti. 

CASTELNOVO NE’ MONTI, BETWEEN HISTORY AND MAGIC

Castelnovo ne’ Monti and the surrounding territories are full of history and magic, starting with the Bismantova Rock, which, according to tradition, inspired Dante’s Purgatory during a stay of the poet in 1306, as also reported in the Canto IV of the Divine Comedy’s Purgatory. The Castelnovo area also boasts several fortresses and castles, once part of the reign of Matilda of Canossa, between 1000 and 1100 AD.

The medieval town’s historical center is definitely worth a visit. It was renovated in recent years, and it offers some truly characteristic views. Among these is the Palazzo Ducale, immersed in the green gardens of Bagnolo, built by the Este family as a symbol of their domination over the territory, and is now the venue of Castelnovo’s City Hall.