The Portuguese rider of the DMT Racing Team made the difference in the final descent, taking his second Appenninica stage victory in Castelnovo ne’ Monti. Lorenzo Samparisi was runner-up, followed by GC leader Hans Becking. Esther Süss makes five out of five among women
Ph. The Outdoor Lab. Ferreira heading towards the Bismantova Rock
DMT Racing Team continues to rule at Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race. On Thursday, October 1st, in Castelnovo ne’ Monti, with the stunning Bismantova Rock in the background, the athletes of team manager Andrea Marconi won the fourth stage in five days at the Italian stage race. This time, however, they didn’t finish together. Tiago Ferreira managed to make the difference in the final descent that brought the riders to the base of the Rock, distancing everyone, even his teammate and GC leader Hans Becking. Second place for Lorenzo Samparisi (KTM Alchemist Dama) at 2’57”, narrowly guarded by the Dutchman, third at 3’06”.
After the Queen Stage efforts, the riders opted for a steadier approach to the stage, 50-km-long with 1800 meters of elevation gain. That resulted in regular pace in the early part, on fast forest roads and some uphill trails towards Montemiscoso and the Lake Calamone. Just before approaching the stretch around the Bismantova Rock, Ferreira decided to force the pace and try an all-in for the stage victory. Samparisi’s attempts to keep up with him were fruitless, so the Portuguese came in Piazza Peretti in Castelnovo ne’ Monti with his arms raised, celebrating his second victory in this Appenninica’s edition.
“The first part of the stage was very calm since we had no reason to push hard – Ferreira explained. – In the second, however, there were many fast up and down, so I tried to go for the stage. And I made it!”. On the other hand, Becking didn’t take any risk: “When Tiago attacked, I let Samparisi try to chase him. I didn’t want to push too hard. Even today, we were surrounded by beautiful landscapes, but after five days of competition on the Emilian Apennines, I understand this must be usual around here”.
Italian Samparisi, once again the most tenacious opponent of the DMT Racing Team’s riders, had to settle for the place of honor: “Unfortunately I could not follow Tiago, but I will try again in the next two stages that seem to suit my characteristics. After Fanano’s victory, I would like to repeat”.
In the overall standings, Ferreira shortened the distance to his teammate Becking and is now 4’38” behind, while Samparisi is getting closer to the final third place, having gained more time on Milton Ramos (Rockrider Decathlon).
Ph. The Outdoor Lab. Ferreira celebrating in Castelnovo ne’ Monti
ESTHER SÜSS HIGH-FIVE!
Esther Süss got the fifth victory in as many stages among women, not leaving even a shred of hope to her opponents. At this point, the en-plein of successes in this Appenninica’s edition is no longer utopia for the former World Champion. At 17’29” from the winner, Gaia Ravaioli (KTM Alchemist Data) was on the second step of the podium for the fifth time as well.
“It was a fun stage, with many ‘up and downs’, and beautiful landscapes – the Swiss explained -. I like to go uphill rather than downhill, but I needed a day like today, after yesterday’s efforts. Winning all the stages? I already did it at the Transalp, the 4 Islands, and the Andalucia Bike Race, so why not?”.
ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2ND, FROM CASTELNOVO TO COLLECCHIO (94 KM)
On Friday, October 2nd, long distances will be back in Appenninica. Collecchio and the Giarola Court will host the sixth stage’s finish, 94 km from the start in Castelnovo ne’ Monti (Reggio Emilia) after the athletes have left the Apennine massif for the first time.
The protagonist of the central part of the stage will be the town of Calestano, famous for its technical and fun trails. The Taro river valley will bring the riders to the final part of the stage, all the way to the Giarola Court, Appenninica’s headquarter for the last two days.
Ph. The Outdoor Lab. The leading group during the first part of the race
The Dutch rider of the DMT Racing Team, along with his teammate Tiago Ferreira, made the difference in the 110-km-long Queen Stage of Appenninica with over 4000 meters of elevation gain, further reinforcing his GC lead. Esther Süss continues her clear path among women
Ph. The Outdoor Lab. Becking and Ferreira leading the race
The Queen Stage was the litmus test for Hans Becking, and he passed it in swing. On Wednesday, September 30th, the fourth stage of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race brought the riders from Fanano (Modena) to Castelnovo ne’ Monti (Reggio Emilia). The boys of DMT Racing Team once again confirmed their class, taking the lead of the race early into the 110-km-long stage with 4200 meters of total elevation gain, and arriving together on the finish line of the “Don Bosco” oratory, in the town in the province of Reggio Emilia.
With a fantastic open-air view of the Emilian Apennines, Becking and Ferreira attacked from the start, on the Passo del Saltello, increasing their gap on the Passo San Pellegrino, Passo delle Radici and Passo del Giovarello. Always together, the duo kept the lead for all the 5h48′ race and was the first to get the look of the Bismantova Rock after the last important climb of the day, Passo della Cisa.
With today’s victory, the Dutch added another stage win to the inaugural time trial in Porretta Terme, and he further tightened his grab on general classification, while his teammate Ferreira, XCM European Champion, was runner-up. Third-placed on the day, at 9’16”, was French Joseph De Poortere (Rockrider-Decathlon), who beat Lorenzo Samparisi (KTM Alchemist Dama) in a sprint.
“Almost six hours of racing, it was tough! But it was worth it – Becking explained -. The first climb on asphalt was fantastic, the view on the Apennines was more and more charming as we proceeded. Tiago and I set our pace from the start, and being together was a smart choice, since dealing with six hours alone wouldn’t have been so fun. It was by far the longest stage of my season, and certainly one of the hardest”.
In the overall standings, Becking holds 7’44” on teammate Ferreira, and with today’s performance, Samparisi managed to solidify the third provisional place at 24’58”, as Milton Ramos (Rockrider-Decathlon) closed more than 18 minutes behind the winner.
“Am I closer to the final victory? Probably, but I have participated in many stage races and I know that you can not be sure until it’s over – Becking continued -. The legs are still great, and no matter where I will finish, I will return home from Appenninica with very fond memories”.
Ph. The Outdoor Lab. Esther Süss before the finish line
WHO CAN STOP ESTHER SÜSS?
Days go by, but Esther Süss doesn’t seem to be giving up an inch. In addition to winning the women’s Queen Stage, the former World Champion closed 20th overall in the stage, beating many men colleagues. At 28’22”, Gaia Ravaioli (KTM Alchemist Dama) finished second.
“Mentally it was tough today – Süss explained, exhausted, after the finish line -. I was alone for most of the time, and while the landscapes were beautiful, I actually suffered a lot. I always try to give my best and discover my limits, when I’m on saddle I like to give it all”.
THE BISMANTOVA ROCK ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, WITH STAGE 5 CASTELNOVO-CASTELNOVO (50 KM)
On Thursday, October 1st, it will be Castelnovo ne’ Monti‘s day, with stage 5 starting and finishing in Piazza Peretti, in the old town. The first part of the route follows – in the opposite direction – a stretch of the first edition: after the first kilometers on paved road, a sequence of fast forest roads and uphill trails rise towards the Montemiscoso mountain village. A 5-km paved climb leads to the beautiful setting of the glacial-origin Lake Calamone, and from there, a long and pleasant downhill trail leads back to Cervarezza and another uphill forest road.
Back to the top of the mountain, there is a short and fun downhill that anticipates some “ups and downs” on fast roads until reaching the base of the majestic Bismantova Rock, an authentic symbol of Appenninica, and framing the last part of the course until the finish in Piazza Peretti.
The KTM Alchemist Dama rider won stage 3 (Fanano-Fanano), seeing off leader Hans Becking in a sprint. Süss is unbeatable among women. Tomorrow the Queen Stage (110 km!)
On the third day of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race Italy has celebrated its first success. On Tuesday, September 29th, in the third stage, starting and finishing in Fanano (Modena), over 50 km and 2500 meters of elevation gain, charted with the unmistakable trait of famous trail builder Pippo Marani.
Lorenzo Samparisi (KTM Alchemist Dama) saw his determination rewarded with a victory on the Modena Apennines, conducting an aggressive race since the first ascent towards Passo Colombino. In his wake on the way up, the iron duo of DTM Racing Team formed by Hans Becking and Tiago Ferreira, whose strenght and consistency was on display once again.
Samparisi, Becking and Ferreira proceeded together on the ridges between Croce Arcana, Lago Scaffaiolo and Passo del Lupo, whose beauty has been enhanced by a sky never so clear in this edition of Appenninica.
The fun and electrifying final descent made the difference on the natural singletrack to Fanano, in which the hand of Pippo Marani – the creator of Val di Sole’s “Black Snake” – could certainly be seen. Samparisi attacked again with courage, followed by Becking, while Ferreira chose not to take risks ahead of the Queen Stage on Wednesday. Samparisi had time to raise his arms in the final sprint, while Becking consolidated his blue leader’s jersey.
“I attacked from the start, we were three on the climb, but I knew the final technical descent could have changed everything”, says Samparisi. “I didn’t hold back, I took some risks, and that eventually paid off. Tomorrow, however, it will be a different story: you have to manage the effort, and then unleash everything in the final hour.”
Even with the competition in full, however, the three protagonists of the day agreed on one thing: “When we arrived on the ridge, Becking, Ferreira and I looked at each other and said– such a shame we don’t have a phone to take a pic! – We didn’t expect something like this before the start”.
Third place for Milton Ramos, looking more consistent and smiling day after day, at 6’09”, while Ferreira reached the finish line at 6’44”.
In the overall standings, before the Queen Stage, Becking has 7’44” on Tiago Ferreira, 15’41” on Lorenzo Samparisi and 19’24” on Milton Ramos. “Today we didn’t want to risk too much,” says Becking, “Samparisi pushed hard, especially on the downhill, while Tiago preferred to use some extra caution ahead of tomorrow. The Queen Stage will be decisive, anything can happen, and victory is not granted. The one thing that’s for sure is the beauty of the sceneries we get to see every day.”
ESTHER SÜSS IS UNTOUCHABLE
Esther Süss (RC Gränichen) continues to command the women’s race. The former World Champion took the third success in a row: an unbreakable supremacy. The second position was once again of Gaia Ravaioli (KTM Alchemist Dama), 23’22” behind.
“I’m focused on my own race: the only thing that can distract me are the scenarios that open up around us as we ride on a great course. Today the descent was so much fun; I enjoyed it all in view of the difficult stage of tomorrow, where it will be important to be on the top of my game.”
ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH, THE FEARED QUEEN STAGE: FANANO – CASTELNOVO NE’ MONTI (110 km)
It is the stage circled in red on the calendar of all athletes. Two numbers are enough to tell why: 110 km and 4,200 meters of elevation gain. Tomorrow it’s Queen Stage time. It is the stage that leads from the harshest to the hilliest part of the Apennines in a succession of singletrails, from the province of Modena to Reggio Emilia.
After the descent from Cimone, a series of up and down will begin: Passo del Saltello, Passo di San Pellegrino, Passo delle Radici, Passo del Giovarello, all on various terrain, from forest roads to trails with roots of undergrowth.
The Passo della Cisa is the last significant climb of the day, leading the athletes in the medieval town of Sologno and opening the first view of the Bismantova Rock. From the village, the last descent and the crossing of the river Secchia will finally mark the desired arrival in Castelnovo ne’ Monti.
Another double for the DMT Racing Team duo in stage 2, 65 km from Porretta Terme to Fanano. The Portuguese won the stage; the Dutchman held the race lead: “The Apennine is stunning!” Esther Süss keeps dominating among women
Ph. The Outdoor Lab. Tiago Ferreira in action on the Apennines’ ridges
Only two days have passed from the start of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race‘s second edition, and “stunning” is the word you keep hearing in the village of the MTB stage race on the Italian Apennines. They clearly were not talking about the race outcome, at least so far: favorites Tiago Ferreira and Hans Becking, among men, and Esther Süss, among women, are obviously living up to the expectations.
On Monday, September 28th, the second stage took the field from Porretta Terme (Bologna) to Fanano (Modena) over 65 km and over 3.000 meters of elevation gain. It was different than the opening effort, and arguably more challenging: there’s little wondering why the stage was named “the technical.” Nevertheless, the outcome eloquently remarked what the first stage had already suggested.
Once again, Tiago Ferreira and Hans Becking of DMT Racing Team have celebrated together on the finish line, strengthening their role as favorites for Appenninica’s second edition. This time it was the Portuguese, reigning European and former World MTB Marathon Champion, to precede his teammate, who smiles in the blue of his Natali-branded leader’s jersey that he claimed yesterday and defended today.
“We accelerated right at the beginning of the climb to the Sboccata dei Bagnadori, around the Rifugio della Segavecchia,” Ferreira said, “and Hans and I paced from there, managing our gap.” “It’s a long week, so we need to manage our effort,” echoed Becking, “and this also allowed us to enjoy the sight a little bit, and it was definitely deserving. We saw incredible places on the course, and the second half of it was so much fun. I have been in many places, including the Alps and the Dolomites, of course, but I am discovering that the Apennines are beautiful in their very own way.”
After warming up the engine in the opening effort, Honduran Milton Ramos (Rockrider-Decathlon) displayed the quality that made him a serial winner of the Iron Bike: he was third on the day, a mere 32 seconds behind the DMT duo. Anyway, his first comment after the finish wasn’t about the overall standings: “Can’t believe the things I saw today. After traveling the World, you assume you pretty much know what to expect. And you’re mistaken: the climbs, the descents, the Apennine ridge we faced today are something incredible. I feel lucky to be here because I didn’t expect Appenninica to be like this: the places, the courses, and the special care they have for each rider like I had never seen before. Amazing.”
The first Italian rider, Lorenzo Samparisi (Team KTM-Alchemist), came in fourth place at 7’04”. Samparisi now occupies the same position in the overall standings behind Becking, Ferreira e Ramos.
Ph. The Outdoor Lab. Esther Süss celebrating in Fanano finish line
ESTHER SÜSS’ CLASS ON DISPLAY AGAIN
The women’s race also confirmed what Esther Süss had started showing on Sunday. The Swiss rider claimed another neat success, with the challenging Apennines’ trails enhancing the huge value of the former XCM World Champion and three-time Cape Epic winner.
“Another great course today, and such hard climbs! We went through really tough sections, and I think we will find plenty of those over the week. But my legs are spinning good, and I am enjoying my time here. There’s still a lot to ride, and that’s good news”.
Gaia Ravaioli (KTM-Alchemist) came in second at 18’48”, keeping her runner-up spot in the GC behind Süss and ahead of Sarah Reiners.
STAGE 3 ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2020: FANANO-FANANO (50 km)
The stage 3 will be raced mostly on the natural trails in the area of Fanano and Sestola. The stage is named “Pippo Yeah” after Pier Paolo “Pippo” Marani, the famous trail builder of Val di Sole’s “Black Snake” downhill course, who contributed to charting 2020 Appenninica’s third effort.
After the start on the tarmac, the path to the Colombino Pass will bring the race through chestnut woods to the Capanno Tassoni. From there, the view will open on the singletracks on the ridge between the Passo Croce Arcana, Lago Scaffaiolo and Passo del Lupo. Some portage will be needed before unleashing the speed on the technical tracks that are sure to give the riders a real adrenaline rush, all the way to the finish in Fanano.
Ph. The Outdoor Lab. Milton Ramos finishes third today’s stage
The DMT Racing Team Dutchman has earned the leader’s jersey after the opening time trial in Porretta, won ahead of teammate Ferreira. The Swiss former World Champion set the tone in the Women’s race
Photo by Alyona Blagikh – The Outdoor Lab
They were the most expected riders, and they did not disappoint. Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race’s 2nd edition has opened in the name of DMT Racing Team’s Hans Becking and Tiago Ferreira, who dropped the hammer in the opening stage, a 45 km individual time trial starting and finishing in Porretta Terme.
Porretta warmly welcomed the start of the only MTB stage race in Italy, in an amazing weekend for cycling in the Province of Bologna: just an hour and a half away from Porretta, in Imola, the Elite Men’s Road World Championship took place. The sun warmed up the early starts from central Piazza della Libertà, being later shaded by clouds as forecast, but no rain characterized the riders’ opening effort.
The stage 1 menu offered a varied course, pointing mostly up until beyond the halfway mark, with the ascents to Castelluccio and Manservisi Castle Park, and then up to the 1.428 meters of the Monte Cavallo. A very technical descent called the rider’s technical skills to the fore, before another challenging way up to the Monte Piella, where some portage stints were required to reach the top and the panoramic view on the Reno Valley, and the final path down to Porretta.
Photo by Marius Holler – The Outdoor Lab
Having started with a minute distance from each other, Ferreira and Becking rejoined along the course and consistently increased their margin over the stage. The duo got to the finish together, which meant Becking would take the stage and the Men leader’s jersey, having started one minute after the Portuguese. “A lot can happen over a week in this kind of race – Becking told at the finish – but we have started on the right foot. We were a little surprised by how technical the course was today: we’ll be more than ready tomorrow, as there’s still a very long way to go.”
Third at the finish was Italian Lorenzo Samparisi (+8’35”), ahead of Dutchman Rob Van der Werf (+11.49) and veteran Milton Ramos (+12.42). The defending champion, Austrian Lukas Kaufmann, was just 13th on the day.
Esther Süss rides into early lead
Photo by Marius Holler – The Outdoor Lab
Many expectations also surrounded the Women’s race, with several athletes in a position to compete for the big prize. The first round went to Esther Süss: intensely focused before the start, the experienced Swiss put distance between her and the rivals, finishing 6’36” ahead of Italian Gaia Ravaioli.
“Starting first means racing with no benchmarks, but when you see nobody closing in, then you know it worked out pretty well,” told the former World Champion and three-time Cape Epic winner. “I was astonished by the views from the course today: if that’s an indication of what expects us over this week, I can’t wait to take in the following stages.”
Tomorrow, Monday, September 28th, the riders will line up in Porretta Terme at 8.00 AM for their second effort at Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race: Porretta Terme – Fanano, 65 km from Bologna’s to Modena’s province, sporting a 3.300 mt elevation gain. The stage’s title, “The Technical”, is telling of what there’s in store for the athletes.
After the first 15 km on flat, the long ascent in the woods to the Sboccata dei Bagnadori is expected to make a selection, taking the riders to the Apennine’s ridge, opening an incredible view: the Emilia-Romagna on the right, with the Alps in the background, the Tuscany and the Apuane Alps on the left.
Through another climb to the Corno alle Scale and the tough Passo dello Strofinatoio, the riders will reach one of the most charming points of the whole course: 1.900 mt-high Lago Scaffaiolo. One last climb to the Passo Croce Arcana will leave way to the technical and fun descent on the CAI 425 trail to Fanano.
