by Appenninica MTB | Sep 22, 2020 | Press Releases (2020)
From Sunday, September 27th to Saturday, October 3rd, Esther Süss, Lorenza Menapace, Regina Marunde, Sarah Reiners and Gaia Ravaioli will enlight a fun and uncertain women’s competition in the MTB stage race on the Emilian Apennines
by Absa Cape Epic
For those who love Emilia-Romagna and cycling, the next two weeks are sure to give strong emotions. In the coming weekend in Imola, road cycling pros will fight for the world titles. At the same time, just an hour and a half away, in Porretta Terme (Bologna), the second edition of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race will start, taking place from September 27th to October 3rd.
The organizers’ choice to confirm the event, moving it from Summer to the Autumn due to the epidemiological emergency, has proved successful. Many international riders opting in the MTB stage race on the Emilian Apennines to test themselves in the race and enjoy the typical Italian atmosphere.
If in the men’s field, top riders like Tiago Ferreira, Milton Ramos, Lukas Kaufmann, Hans Becking and more have accepted the challenge. On the Women’s side, the competition promises to be exciting and uncertain as ever, with big names of the international off-road scene expected in the Apennines.
Leading the field is Esther Süss, XCM World Champion in 2010 in Sankt Wendel, as well as twice European Champion, in 2008 in Sankt Wendel and 2010 in Montebelluna. Standing out in her palmares are also two Cape Epic overall wins: “I’m really curious to find out what Appenninica holds for me – the Swiss athlete explains -. Looking at the stages’ profiles, it seems that it will be a really hard race, and I usually like it that way. Honestly, I don’t know my opponents very well, but I think the overall level will be high and the race fun. I hope for good weather throughout the week, so to conclude this short and special season in the best way”.
Tenacious Lorenza Menapace won’t certainly stand by after winning the first edition in pair with French Danièle Troesch, and be willing to reclaim the title in the individual race: “In this weird season, Appenninica is my debut in a stage race – said the Italian -. I do not know what to expect, so far I have “just” concluded an Everesting at a high pace, the Oztaler Marathon and the Ortler Marathon, but I’ve never raced multiple days this year. It is like leaping in the dark, but I hope to have fun and finish another stage race, without too much pressure”.
Appenninica is also a new challenge for former German international and Olympian Regina Marunde, who debuted in 1991 in the World Championship right on the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, in “Il Ciocco”, where the XCO Italian Championships were held just a few days ago: “Last year in the Czech Republic, some French athletes told me that if I was looking for a beautiful MTB race with fun trails, I should have come to Appenninica – Marunde says -. That’s why I can’t wait for it to start, especially in such a particular year. Of course, you always try to be competitive, but the thing I like most is being able to share the experience with people who have my same passion”.
Rounding out the lot of favorites, 2016 Bike Transalp winner Sarah Reiners still wears the German national team jersey in XCM races, and Italian climber Gaia Ravaioli, 2017 and 2019 Endurance World Champion, also looks to factor in this enticing clash of queens at Appenninica.
by Appenninica MTB | Sep 17, 2020 | Press Releases (2020)
Focus on the stage venues – A fascinating finale expects Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race (September 27th – October 3rd) as the town in the province of Parma and the medieval Corte are set to host the last two stages
Our journey to discover the stage venues of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race, scheduled from September 27th to October 3rd, ends with Collecchio. Situated in the province of Parma, the town debuts as hosting venue of the MTB stage race on the Emilian Apennines. In particular, the Giarola Court will be the headquarter of the last two stages and the grand finale after a tough week of competition.
On Friday, October 2nd 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, while the valley of the Taro river will bring the riders to the final part of the stage, all the way to the Giarola Court.
The final stage of Appenninica, on Saturday, October 3rd, is a short and fun ring course with Collecchio and the Giarola Court as both start and finish. The first ten kilometers are flat and fast on dirt road and then asphalt, skirting the Taro river before entering the Carrega Woods park. From there, the bikers will have plenty to enjoy over the following 20 km, characterized by fast and technical dirt trails with rapid changes of slopes and direction. The park’s beautiful forest will always be in the background, with passages inside the ancient villas courts where Marie Louise, the Duchess of Parma and wife of Napoleon, stayed. Leaving the park, the remaining kilometers will be a long sprint on asphalt and bike paths until the well-deserved finish line, which will close Appenninica’s second edition. At the final dinner, the bikers will finally be free to taste the local delights with no more regrets.
“We have embraced this challenge with enthusiasm, not only because Appenninica can help making our territory known in Italy and abroad, but also for the sporting value that an event like this conveys – the Mayor of Collecchio, Maristella Galli, explains -. The Collecchio Administration is strongly committed to supporting sports. We believe in sports as a key vehicle of growth for the new generation, even more in this critical time when courage becomes even more of a value, and sports are a perfect benchmark for that.”
COLLECCHIO: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The territory of Collecchio extends to 11 km south-west of Parma in a beautiful area located between hills and plains, where life is in a privileged relationship with the surrounding environment thanks to the presence of two historic regional parks, the Taro river, and the Carrega Woods. Artistic and natural treasures are the lovely setting of Collecchio, an urban center able to combine development with the attention to culture and territory.
Worth a visit are the Arch of the Bargello, which gives access to the town, the ancient parish church of San Prospero and Villa Soragna, a building of the early ‘800, now converted to a public library.
Then there is the Giarola Court, where the race village of the last two stages of Appenninica will be set up. From the Middle Ages until the nineteenth century, it was a Benedictine monastery of San Paolo’s nuns. Inside there is the Romanesque church of San Nicomede and, today, the Corte has been renovated for the public and houses the headquarter of the Taro Park, the Museum of tomato and pasta and a charming restaurant.
DISCOVER MORE ON COLLECCHIO
by Appenninica MTB | Sep 11, 2020 | Press Releases (2020)
More than trails and dirt roads in the MTB stage race on the Emilian Apennines (September 27th-October 3rd), but also tasty local specialties to make the riders’ experience even more special
Ph. E. Melchiorri
Limiting Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race only to the competitive aspect would be overly reductive. From September 27th to October 3rd, the riders will find much more than a MTB stage race: the Appenninica family will help them into the Emilian Apennines’ culture and traditions.
The culinary tradition of the area, and of Italy as a whole, is undoubtedly one big motivation for those choosing the Appenninica adventure. Emilia-Romagna is a region of excellence in terms of cuisine, and the Appenninica organizers want to show it during the race, supported by title sponsor Parmigiano Reggiano and fellow partners Venturini Baldini, I Love Piadina, Parmonie, water supplied by Gruppo SEM and Coop Alleanza 3.0.
At Appenninica, the athletes will have to face more than 450 km and 16 thousand meters of total elevation gain, requiring a great deal of energy to be reintegrated with genuine and traditional food from the areas involved. Each stage venue will present its own specialty to make every stage unique from a gastronomic perspective.
Porretta Terme (Bologna) will present its pappardelle with meat sauce, Fanano (Modena) the tigelle combined with cold cuts, cheese and stracchino, Castelnovo ne’ Monti (Reggio Emilia) will treat the riders with the famous “rice bomb” and Collecchio (PR) with the “torta fritta” and cold cuts. Everything will be accompanied by many other local delicacies.
The highlight will then be the grand finale dinner offered by title sponsor Parmigiano Reggiano, in which riders can plunge into the tasting of the excellences of local food and wine. The perfect finishing act of the challenging but gratifying MTB experience in the Emilian Apennines.
“The gastronomic discovery is one of the reasons why we think of Appenninica as an experience, more than just a race – co-organizer Milena Bettocchi explained – Emilia is an internationally-famous area of gastronomic excellence, and living Appenninica without diving in this reality would be like giving up to a huge piece of its cultural heritage.”
“An athlete can finish the Giro d’Italia in Milan without eating the famous cutlet, but he cannot finish Appenninica without discovering the taste of the erbazzone, the fragrance of the torta fritta and the scent of the real mountain Parmigiano Reggiano. It is part of what we are. And it is also for this reason that appetite grows with climbing at Appenninica”, Bettocchi added.
by Appenninica MTB | Sep 4, 2020 | Press Releases (2020)
Focus on the stage venues – The town in the province of Reggio Emilia and the beautiful “Rock” in the background are set to host Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race again on September 30th and October 1st
The discovery journey through Appenninica Parmigiano Reggiano Stage 2020’s stage venues, scheduled from September 27th to October 3rd, continues. After Porretta Terme (Bologna) and Fanano (Modena), Castelnovo ne’ Monti also decided to replicate the 2019 experience, welcoming the Appenninica family once more. The town of the Reggio Emilia province will host two stages this year, and the start of a third one that will lead the riders to the province of Parma.
On Wednesday, September 30th, Castelnovo ne’ Monti and the “Don Bosco” oratory will be the finish area of the long-awaited Queen Stage, whose 105 km and 4300 m of total elevation gain will prove crucial for the final classification of the stage race.
Bikers will face the Passo del Saltello, Passo di San Pellegrino in Alpe, Passo delle Radici, Passo del Giovarello and Passo della Cisa before heading towards the medieval town of Sologno, from where the Bismantova Rock, an authentic symbol of Appenninica, starts to appear. The riders will continue on a technical trail from the city taking them down to the Secchia river. Once they have crossed the river, a series of switchbacks on asphalt will lead them back to the “Don Bosco” oratory to take the well-deserved rest.
But it will be especially on the following day, Thursday October 1st, when Castelnovo ne’ Monti will be in the spotlights, as stage 5 starts and finishes in the central Piazza Peretti. 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, framing the last part of the course until the finish in Piazza Peretti.
The “Don Bosco” oratory will then launch the riders towards the Parma province and outside the Apennine massif on Friday, October 2nd, in the stage that will end in Collecchio. “In recent years, the practice of MTB has grown exponentially, and the territory and the ridge of the mid-Apennines offer routes appreciated by bikers from all over Italy and beyond – the Mayor of Castelnovo ne’ Monti, Enrico Bini, explained -. In Castelnovo, we are lucky enough to have extraordinary landscapes, such as the Bismantova Rock, and comfortable accommodation facilities for the bikers. The fact that Appenninica partners with Parmigiano Reggiano, the leading agri-food product of our area and excellence recognized worldwide, is another excellent vehicle for promoting the town and its agricultural sector. We look forward to welcoming the Appenninica family”.
CASTELNOVO NE’ MONTI: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Nestled in the green of three conifers, Castelnovo ne’ Monti boasts a central geographical position between the valleys of Secchia and Enza, Reggio Emilia and the Passo del Cerreto. For this reason, it is considered the capital of the Reggio Emilia mountains. The heart of the entire landscape is the Bismantova Rock, a majestic grey sandstone rocky emergency that stretches on the top of a plateau. The “Rock” is the icon of a territory that also encloses the area of the Triassic Chalks, ancient rocks that date back to the period called “Trias” (200 million years ago), and the archaeological site of Campo Pianelli.
In addition to offering an evocative scenery for trekking or jogging lovers, the territory provides a network of well-equipped trails for those who wish to pursue well being through the outdoor activity. The tracks for horses and bikes around the Bismantova Rock are also very appreciated as it is the climbing in the Rock, point of excellence of this discipline.
There’s plenty to enjoy also for the food lovers, such as the “salame fiorettino” and the mountain “zuccotto”; the first stands out for the tasty “lardelli” cut by hand while the Bismantova “zuccotto” is a typical Christmas dessert. The mountain “erbazzone” is another can’t-miss treat: a savory cake stuffed with spinach, Parmigiano Reggiano and other local specialties.
DISCOVER MORE ON CASTELNOVO NE’ MONTI
by Appenninica MTB | Sep 1, 2020 | Press Releases (2020)
Registrations to the stage race on the Emilian Apennines (September 27th – October 3rd) are closed: an exiciting edition is in the cards with great riders at the start, such as Tiago Ferreira and Esther Süss
September is the month of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race this year: there are now only 26 days left to the start from Porretta Terme (Bologna) of the MTB stage race on the Emilian Apennines, scheduled from September 27th to October 3rd, and the ordinary registrations for the upcoming edition have closed on Monday August 31st.
The Organizing Committee headed by Milena Bettocchi and Beppe Salerno resiliently ran their initiative in the tough months of the epidemic emergency, moving the race from the summer to the autumn season and working to ensure the event in full safety for both athletes and insiders.
This tenacity has been largely rewarded by a prestigious list of starters: many riders have been fascinated by the general offer of the course, a very demanding challenge with its 16 thousand meters of total elevation gain, and also by the beauty and scenery of the Apennines, an area still to be discovered, not only by bike.
There is going to be a tight battle both in the men’s and women’s competition: on the one hand current champion Lukas Kaufmann, European and former World Champion Tiago Ferreira, Milton Ramos, Hans Becking and Lorenzo Samparisi, while on the other hand the former World Champion Esther Süss, Gaia Ravaioli, Sarah Reiners, former Olympian Regina Marunde and Lorenza Menapace, just to mention some of the most anticipated protagonists.
“Despite a year with unique circumstances – Beppe Salerno explained – the participation numbers are very interesting, with some prominent names of the MTB world. Due to the COVID-19, several athletes arriving from outside Europe, particularly from the United States and South Africa, have had to give up the event, but will not miss the opportunity to be here in 2021″.
HE COURSE
Logistic reasons have forced a variation on the course of the last two stages, concerning in particular the stage venue. Collecchio (Parma) and the charming Corte di Giarola will replace Noceto (Parma) with no strictly technical changes in the course since the two municipalities are next to each other. “We thank Noceto for the availability and collaboration offered in recent months – Beppe Salerno commented – and we hope to return to visit it in the years to come. At the same time, we warmly welcome Collecchio, that will have the honor to crown the winner of a second edition that promises to be really enticing”.
Sunday, September 27th: Porretta Terme – Porretta Terme (45 km)
Elevation Gain: 1645 m
Monday, September 28th: Porretta Terme – Fanano (60 km)
Elevation Gain: 2650 m
Tuesday, September 29th: Fanano – Fanno (50 km)
Elevation Gain: 2300 m
Wednesday, September 30th: Fanano – Castelnovo ne’ Monti (110 km)
Elevation Gain: 4300 m
Thursday, October 1st: Castelnovo ne’ Monti – Castelnovo ne’ Monti (53 km)
Elevation Gain: 1900 m
Friday, October 2nd: Castelnovo ne’ Monti – Collecchio (94 km)
Elevation Gain: 2500 m
Saturday, October 3rd: Collecchio – Collecchio (35 km)
Elevation Gain: 650 m
