DeQou Action Beer to reward Appenninica riders’ efforts

The performance beer created for sportspeople by Simone Bertin is sponsor of Appenninica’s 2021 edition: a balanced product that restores energy without glycaemic spikes

Is there any better than a cold beer after an Appenninica stage? For the 2021 edition (September 12th– 18th, 2021), the Appenninica MTB Stage Race’s organising committee will delight its riders with a special and balanced product, developed specifically for them by La Orange.

DeQou Action Beer is the first handcrafted performance beer with an alcohol content of only 3,5% vol., rich in magnesium and potassium with a double ratio of maltodextrin. This beer releases energy without causing a glycaemic spike, thanks to an innovative production brewing method based on university research and development.

Thanks to its wealth in elements, beer has been used for thousands of years to integrate and replenish minerals and energy in a pleasant way. DeQou Action Beer is the first performance beer specifically developed and brewed in Italy to combine taste, emotion and nutrition. The low alcohol combined with the high maltodextrin level makes it the perfect beer for recovery after a long sports session. We are sure that even the tireless participants of Appenninica will enjoy a sip of energy and “beerness” at the end of their efforts”, said Simone Bertin, CEO of La Orange.

DeQou Action Beer will be present at every stage of Appenninica with a special can, customized for the mountain bike stage race. La Orange returns to Appenninica’s family after having been a sponsor in the first edition.

 

Fanano has found its treasure in Appenninica

The sportive town in the Province of Modena renews its bound with Appenninica MTB Stage races, hosting two starts and two finishes of the upcoming 2021 edition

The special relationship between Fanano and Appenninica MTB Stage Race continues for the 2021 edition (September 12th-18th, 2021), when the town in the province of Modena will host three stages of the mountain bike stage race. Fanano is a small mountain municipality at the foot  of Monte Cimone, located in the Alto Appennino Modenese Natural ParkOrange flag of the Italian Touring Club since 2001 for its environment, this municipality is renewed as hometown of the Italian gold miner Felice Pedroni, who made his fortune in the United States at the beginning of the last century during the gold rush.

Appenninica MTB Stage Race will reach Fanano on Tuesday, September 14th, 2021, at the end of stage 3, “Gold Rush”, with 57 km and 2500 metres of elevation gain, starting from Lizzano in Belvedere. Before the arrival, the bikers will face the ascent of Monte Cimone, passing through the village of Trignano, birthplace of Felice Pedroni. This stage is characterized by exhausting ups and downs where athletes will have to be ready to face any scenario.

The following day, Wednesday, September 15th, 2021, the “Pippo Yeah!” stage returns to Appenninica after last year’s success. Entirely charted by famous trail builder Pippo Marani, the stage of 50 km and 2300 metres of elevation gain is byword of pure fun with two ascents towards the Passo Colombino and Passo Croce Arcana, although the 15 km of downhill on a single track will be decisive.

Fanano will say goodbye to Appenninica on Thursday, September 16th, 2021, hosting the start of the “High Mountain Queen Stage”, 95 km and 3600 metres of elevation gain with finish in Cerreto Laghi. The athletes will immediately face the challenging ascent towards the summit of Monte Cimone (17 km of climb for an elevation gain of over 1000 metres).

We believed in the Appenninica project from the start because it is a worldwide platform for us to promote our territory. Here in Fanano we have about 300 km of trails of different difficulties that we keep clean with effort and dedication, but thanks to Appenninica, we can give a touristic boost to this offer and commitment. This is the moment of the Apennines, an ideal area to enjoy nature and breathe fresh air”, explained the Mayor of FananoStefano Muzzarelli.

FANANO, BETWEEN SPORTS AND GOLD RUSH

Fanano is a small mountain municipality with a strong sport tradition, related to the winter ski resort of Monte Cimone, where it is possible to practice downhill skiing, ski mountaineering, as well as figure skating and hockey thanks to the presence of an ice rink. In summer, the network of trails is ideal for trekking, mountain biking and outdoor sports.

The beating heart of the town is Piazza Corsini, where the three most important access roads converge. In the village of Trignano, it’s also possible to visit the native home of Felice Pedroni, Fanano’s most illustrious citizen, who founded the town of Fairbanks, in Alaska, after discovering the largest gold deposit in the region.

Lizzano in Belvedere ready for its Appenninica debut

For the first time, the village in the province of Bologna, the birthplace of journalist Enzo Biagi, will be among the venues of Appenninica MTB on Monday, September 13th and Tuesday, September 14th

Credits: The Outdoor Lab

Located in the Regional Park of Corno alle ScaleLizzano in Belvedere is ready to make its debut at Appenninica MTB Stage Race (September 12th-18th, 2021). Famous for its stunning natural landscapes, the town in the province of Bologna is also the birthplace of the late Italian journalist and writer Enzo Biagi, as well as a scene of fierce fighting along the Gothic Defensive Line during World War II.

The Appenninica MTB Stage Race caravan will get to Lizzano in Belvedere on Monday, September 13th for the finish of stage two, “Il Corno“, 55 km and 2540 meters of elevation gain after the start from Porretta Terme. The undisputed protagonist of the stage will be the Corno alle Scale mountain, whose top offers a breathtaking view, extending from the Tyrrhenian Sea, westbound, to the Adriatic Sea, eastbound. Before reaching the finish line, the riders will also enjoy the scenery of the Crinale Massimo up to Lake Scaffaiolo, already reached in the past editions.

Furthermore, on Tuesday, September 14th, Lizzano in Belvedere will host the start of stage 3, with the race heading to Fanano through a 57 km and 2500 meters of elevation gain route, in the stage called “Gold Rush“.

“We joined the project of Appenninica MTB Stage Race with great enthusiasm and we are confident that this event will help people to discover the beauty of the Corno alle Scale area – explained the mayor of Lizzano in BelvedereSergio Polmonari -. For some years now, we have been working to create a wide network of trails suited for mountain biking within the Regional Park of Corno alle Scale, with routes both near the villages and at high altitudes. Appenninica will be the opportunity for people to discover this network of trails, and represents a further step in this project of development and promotion“.

LIZZANO IN BELVEDERE, THROUGH NATURE AND HISTORY

The landscapes around Lizzano in Belvedere make this village a perfect tourist destination for those looking to immerse in the nature and breathe clean air. Here, a soulful place for meditation, surrounded by monumental trees and silence, is the Sanctuary of Madonna dell’Acero (Maple’s Virgin): the legend says that the maples rising on the sides of the sanctuary have hosted a resting Virgin Mary.

During World War II, these areas were the scene of clashes between the partisan forces and the German army, that built the Gothic Line in 1944 . Today, a suggestive path through those paths tells the story of those terrible years. In addition, in the hamlet of Pianaccio there is a museum dedicated to Enzo Biagi, who started from here a long and remarkable career in journalism, going on to work for Italy’s major newspapers, Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica, as well as curating his own prime-time show on Rai Uno.  

Credits: The Outdoor Lab

The symphony of Appenninica starts from Porretta Terme

The tourist resort in the municipality of Alto Reno Terme, known for its SPA and the Porretta Soul Festival, will host the great start of the Appenninica MTB Stage Race on September 12th and 13th 

Credits: The Outdoor Lab

As already happened for the successful 2020 edition, the 2021 edition of Appenninica MTB Stage Race will start from Porretta Terme, in the municipality of Alto Reno Terme, in the Province of Bologna. Renowned for the quality of life and its favorable geographic location, Porretta Terme is a pole of attraction for thermal tourism and various health activities, enhanced over the years by an increasingly widespread culture of hospitality.

On Sunday, September 12, 2021, the 2021 edition of Appenninica will start from Piazza Della Libertà with an individual time trial of 40 km and 1600m of elevation gain, that will allow competitors to enter immediately in the competitive mood. With its route passing through villages, mountain retreats and roads, the “Porretta Soul” stage will pay homage to the Porretta Soul Festival, an event that has attracted the biggest names in soul music for over 30 years. 

The route of the opening stage winds through the mountains around Porretta Terme, through the many trails that surround the town in the Emilia-Romagna Apennines, such as the ring of Monte Cavallo, 43 kilometers and 1500 meters of elevation gain among the beech forests and the most beautiful forest roads of the Upper Reno area. 

Credits: IAT Alto Reno Terme

The first taste of the Apennine ridge will be on the following day, Monday, September 13, in the stage from Porretta Terme to Lizzano in Belvedere, 57 kilometers and 2340 meters of elevation gain. The absolute protagonist of the second stage is the Corno alle Scale mountain, from which the fraction “Il Corno” takes its name, with its wide views ready to provide emotions.

“There are many reasons why Alto Reno Terme has chosen to believe in cycling – commented the Mayor Giuseppe Nanni -. First of all, our desire to team up with all the municipalities of Emilia-Romagna to promote the Apennines and the Alta Via dei Parchi, combined with the possibility to diversify our tourism offer with sports and eco-sustainable proposals.”

“Appenninica MTB Stage Race has risen to international prominence – continued the Mayor – and contributes to a new image and positioning of Alto Reno Terme, related to thermal water and top-quality spa treatments, wellness, nature, sports and leisure, combined with high-quality food and wine”.

Credits: IAT Alto Reno Terme

PORRETTA TERME BETWEEN MUSIC, MOVIES AND WELLBEING

The thermal baths of Porretta, renowned for their mineral waters, have a thousand-year-long tradition and have been a source of opportunities and tourism for the town. One of the main tourist attractions are the underground springs, where the secrets of the subsoil and the path of thermal water can be discovered.

The name of Porretta Terme is also linked to two prestigious festivals of the international level. The Porretta Soul Festival, celebrating its 30th edition in 2021, has brought true legends of international music to the town, while in early December takes place the Film Festival, which over the years has hosted famous directors such as Giuseppe Tornatore, Ferzan Ozpetek and Ken Loach. 

Natali crafts Appenninica’s leaders jerseys

For the third edition in a row, the Tuscan company will be technical sponsor of the Italian MTB stage race and design all the leaders’ jerseys

The partnership continues to florish between Appenninica MTB Stage Race and Natali Sports Wear, a company from Pistoia, Italy, founded in 1968, that in recent years has been experiencing a moment of growth and relaunch alongside prestigious events. As technical sponsor, Natali will dress all the leaders of Appenninica 2021, from September 12 to 18.

Natali has embraced the project of Appenninica since its debut in 2019, grasping its potential of growth on a national and international scale, confident that the format of mountain bike stage races is trending upwards in popularity and prominence.

We believe in the project and the people behind it, and we are convinced that this event will become one of the most important on the Italian scene, and not just for off-road racing – says Marino Palandri, director of Natali Sports Wear -. Appenninica is undoubtedly an event that leaves a positive mark on those who take part in it, and we want to do the same, offering our top range models”.

The leaders of the different categories competing at Appenninica will wear the Top21Rudi model, the most popular Natali jersey in 2020 and 2021, appreciated for its versatility and innovative materials. With micro-perforated stretch front and back guaranteeing high transpirability, the garment is 100% Made in Italy, entirely produced within the Natali factory in Pistoia.

The leader of the men’s general classification will wear the blue jersey, while the leader of the women’s classification will don the red jersey. Furthermore, for the first time this year, there will be leader’s jerseys also for the grand master (orange) and master (green) categories.