by Appenninica MTB | Jun 23, 2020 | Press Releases (2020)
The 26-year-old Austrian won the individual classification in Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race’s first edition and looks to repeat this year: “It is a unique race and I will try to win it again”
Resisting the call of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race is not easy. The winner of the first edition, Lukas Kaufmann, can confirm it, as from September 27th to October 3rd 2020 he will be back on the Emilian Apennines to try to defend the title won last year. In 2019 he showed all his qualities, both uphill and on the fast downhill trails, securing the final individual overall classification and thus becoming the first winner in the history of Appenninica.
He was born in Linz, Northern Austria, in 1994 and for about ten years has been traveling the world looking for races that feed his passion for fat wheels and technical trails. Over the years he has raised the bar more and more, finding the ideal terrain to prove his skills in stage races.
“Last year I learned about Appenninica thanks to a Facebook ad – Kaufmann says -. I was looking for a stage race in a beautiful area of Italy and I immediately registered. I should have participated in pairs with a friend of mine, but in the end he could not be there so I raced alone. I certainly didn’t expect to win, although I knew I was in good shape, since a few days earlier I had finished third in the Salzkammergut Trophy, 11 hours of racing for 210 km and 7100 meters of elevation gain”.
Lukas perfectly fits with Appenninica mood, fully enjoying the atmosphere once he gets off his bike: “The family atmosphere is one of the things that I enjoyed the most of the race. At the end of the week everyone knew each other. The marvelous food should not be overlooked too, especially the Parmigiano Reggiano”.
But a skilled biker like him was also looking for a nice course to have fun with: “I did stage races in Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, France, Spain, Costa Rica and Australia, but nowhere I enjoyed the route like I did at Appenninica – the 26-year-old Austrian said -. You need a great technique, because trails are difficult, and also excellent resistance, because after seven days of competition you are really exhausted”.
His goal is to repeat the win, taking advantage of the experience gained last year and the knowledge of the Apennines traps. In 2020, however, the competition will be higher and the rivals fiercer: “Last year, while I was travelling back home in a 10-hours-drive, I reflected on how much this race would grow over the years. The organizers are doing an excellent job and it is logical that, little by little, stronger riders will join the race. I can’t wait to challenge athletes like Milton Ramos and many others. A stage race is always unpredictable, but surely, I will start to repeat last year victory. I will train intensely until September, then if I do not succeed in winning, I will still be able to enjoy the course, the good food, the magnificent landscape and the company of the Appenninica team”.
by Appenninica MTB | Jun 12, 2020 | Highlights, Press Releases (2020)
The Spaniard-Honduran of the Rockrider Decathlon Team, six-time winner of the IronBike, is ready to face the Emilian Apennines the next autumn: “I want to enjoy the experience, but also focus on the general classification”
Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race starting list keeps filling up with big names. The latest famed contender to join the ranks of the MTB stage race scheduled from September 27th to October 3rd, 2020 on the Emilian Apennines, in Italy, is Internationally renowned stage-race specialist Milton Ramos, six-time winner of the established and very challenging IronBike stage race, in the Western Alps.
Born in 1979 and grown up in Honduras, Ramos proved his MTB talent after moving to Spain in 1999, when he joined his mother who had emigrated to Europe a few years earlier in Zaragoza. After a short period in road cycling, he committed full-time to his passion for fat wheels and off-road tracks, soon becoming one of the most popular bikers in Spain. He is nicknamed “Zorro of the Desert”, because of his good feeling with the Titan Desert in Morocco, where he won three stages with three second places in the overall standings.
In Appenninica he will face a new challenge, as the Apennines are an unexplored terrain for him. On the starting line of Porretta Terme (Bologna) he will wear the Rockrider Decathlon Team jersey, together with the French Joseph de Poortere and competing both in the individual category.
“My teammate Joseph told me about Appenninica and when I read about it I was impressed by the routes and the overall offer of the race – Milton, who also won races like the Mediterranean Extreme, Gigante de Piedra and the Quebrantahuesos cxm in his career, explains -. I also received positive feedbacks from other friends of mine who know the race and I am very curious to discover the Apennines. I’ve never had the chance to ride there before, so it will be a very first time for me”.
The Honduran living in Aragon comes from a difficult 2019, punctuated by several physical problems that have significantly limited his bike activity, and even this 2020, with many races cancelled due to the epidemic emergency, had not started in the best way. Appenninica, postponed from summer to autumn, will therefore be one of the major goals of the season for Ramos, who is surely going to entertain the fans during the seven days along the Emilian provinces.
The 16.000 meters of elevation gain seems to fit perfectly to Milton’s skills: “Hard and technical races like Appenninica are the ones I prefer and in which I have always managed to give the best of me, so I think I can have fun. The first goal for me is to enjoy the ride and appreciate what is around me, but I am also competitive by nature and I will surely focus on the overall classification. I will then try to finish as high as possible”.
The next autumn Milton is going to be a tough rival for everyone. Registrations for Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race are open on the https://www.appenninica-mtb.com/en/register/ website till August 31st (or max number).
by Appenninica MTB | May 28, 2020 | Highlights, Press Releases (2020)
Noted the persistent uncertainty about the regular course of sports events, the MTB stage race’s organizers decided to postpone the MTB stage race to the autumn: “We want to offer more guarantees”
There is to wait a couple of months longer than expected to live the Mountain Bike challenge in the heart of Emilian Apennines. Having assessed the constant situation of uncertainty regarding the conditions and methods of carrying out sports events after the emergency from Covid-19, Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race decided to postpone the second edition of the race to the next autumn, from September 27th to October 3rd, 2020.
The main features of the race will not change even if there will be a few more yellow leaves. Originally scheduled from July 19th to 25th, Appenninica ranks among the hardest stage races in the international calendar and the Emilian Apennines, through the provinces of Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, and Parma, are the ideal setting.
“These dates give us more guarantees and meet the needs of everyone – Beppe Salerno, Head of the organizing committee along with Milena Bettocchi, explains -. We evaluated the situation day by day because a 460 km stage race in seven days requires planning and coordination, and this seemed to be the best choice for us. We are particularly grateful to the sponsors, and to the four host municipalities, Alto Reno Terme, Fanano, Castelnovo ne’ Monti, and Noceto, that have not pulled back and also supported the new placement in the calendar”.
The ambition to repeat the first edition’s success motivates the organizers: “Only a few MTB stage races are still standing in this very tough season. Despite the difficult circumstances, we are part of a small group of tenacious organizers who are still hoping to deliver a great experience to their participants.”
Determination, but also a keen awareness of the existing situation: “The Appenninica Family’s safety comes first for us. We are in touch with all the participants to inform them of every development, monitor the health and regulatory evolution daily, and we are studying the most appropriate solutions so that everyone can live the experience in the utmost safety and serenity. We hope that the good signals coming out from this lockdown phase will be confirmed and that these two more months allow us to race Appenninica in its usual entertaining atmosphere”.
As already made clear by Appenninica’s organizers, no one will lose his participation fee. “In these days we talked with our athletes, and many of them were enthusiasts for the new dates,” Salerno continues -. “Anyway, since the beginning of the emergency, we ensured alternatives for anybody who wouldn’t be able to participate under these conditions.”
The participation fees already paid for the 2020 edition will roll over to the new dates – from September 27th to October 3rd – and if the rider is not available to attend the event in 2020 for any reason, the participation fee will be valid for the 2021 event.
All the registered riders also have the option to cancel according to the current cancellation policy.
by Appenninica MTB | May 12, 2020 | Highlights
Pending the decisions of the Italian Government, the organizers continue to work for the 19-25 July fixture, while also weighing options for an alternative date in September/ October 2020, should the original one become unavailable
In Italy activities are gradually reopening, but there is still little certainty about sports events, whose organizers are trying to realize what will be feasible or not in the next few months.
Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race keeps working on its second edition, though the original dates, from July 19 to 25, will remain on the mend until the Italian Government and the Italian Cycling Federation will deliberate on the regulations on mass events. Possible restrictions for international travelling will also factor in the Asd Happy Trail MTB organizers’ decision.
“The ministerial decree has restored the possibility to circulate by bike from May 4th – Beppe Salerno, Head of the organizing committee along with Milena Bettocchi, explained -. At the same time, we don’t have the elements to make a final call on the Appenninica’s date just yet. We acknowledge that there is a chance July 19-25 could be too premature in this situation: that is why we are doing our due diligence with our partners, host municipalities, Italian Cycling Federation and sponsors, to verify the option of pushing the event to September or October.”
A final decision will be taken by the end of May. Appenninica organizers had already previously taken stock of the unique circumstances, and modified the cancellation policy, so to ensure to all the registered athletes and to those willing to participate the utmost flexibility and peace of mind.
by Appenninica MTB | Apr 17, 2020 | Highlights, Press Releases (2020)
The apparel company from Pistoia, technical sponsor of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race (19-25 July), is giving a significant support to local companies and municipalities
Those who love Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race do not step back in front of challenges, even the steepest ones. Natali Sports Wear’s sake for challenges was made evident already in the first edition of the MTB stage race, immediately stepping in as manufacturer of all the category leaders’ jerseys.
Waiting for the second edition scheduled from July 19th to 25th, the company from Uzzano (Pistoia) is facing an even more challenging battle than the steep climbs of the Emilian Apennines: like many other Made-In-Italy clothing companies, not only of sports, Natali chose to convert its production into sewing sanitary masks.
Since the reconversion, the Tuscan company has already produced 10 thousand masks, delivering them to private companies and local authorities, waiting to complete the certification process in order to supply them also to hospitals and civil protection.
“In this difficult situation we chose to contribute to contain the emergency – Natali Sports Wear Director, Marino Palandri, explained -. We are happy of supporting many companies and organizations in our territory, and soon we hope to help protecting also those who work on the front line against the virus, in hospitals and in civil protection”.
At Appenninica, Natali’s garments have a much different role and scope. “It’s a project we believed in right from the start – Palandri continued -. It is something new for Italy, and we are happy to be alongside the organizers. It is technically one of the most demanding races of this kind in the World, and that’s exactly the kind of challenges we can’t wait to face again”.
Natali’s brand was born in 1968 thanks to the idea of Bruno Natali and Licia Convalle, who opened a knitwear workshop in the basement of their house. Since the early years they have focused on a winning combination of product’s quality and Made in Italy, leading them to celebrate 50 years of life in 2018. Cycling clothing is the core business sector for Natali, but they also operate in other disciplines such as athletics, and wherever there is a challenge to win. Starting from the most important ones.
