Since its debut in the 2021 edition, Lizzano in Belvedere has become a regular stage venue for the Appenninica MTB Stage Race. This year will be no different, with Vidiciatico hosting the finish of the second stage on Tuesday, September 3, and the start of the next stage the following day.
While the first stage from Bologna to Loiano, along the Via degli Dei, serves as a delightful appetizer for the athletes, the second stage, with its 73 km and 2350 meters of elevation gain, immediately raises the challenge to a higher level. Scheduled for Tuesday, September 3, this stage will take competitors into the heart of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines through the Savena, Setta, and Reno valleys.
The first 25 km are the most demanding, featuring a rough and varied course, passing through medieval villages like La Scola and Rocca Pitigliana and encountering picturesque castles, including the enchanting Rocchetta Mattei. After reaching Rocchetta Mattei, a long 17 km climb with 900 meters of elevation gain will take athletes to higher altitudes, with only the first 4 km on asphalt.
From this point until the finish in Vidiciatico, in the municipality of Lizzano in Belvedere, the stage will follow the Gothic Line, a site of fierce battles during the Resistance in World War II. The “Gothic Line” stage is thus demanding but rich in history and breathtaking landscapes.
The following day, Wednesday, September 4, 2024, Vidiciatico will also host the start of stage 4, which will immediately head towards Corno alle Scale. Starting this year, the Corno alle Scale KOM has been established at Lago Scaffaiolo, with a prize awarded to the first athlete to pass through.
“We are honoured to be one of the stage venues for the Appenninica MTB Stage Race, a highly appreciated event for which we are grateful as an administration. The Emilia-Romagna Apennines are a wonderful territory with great potential, and the Appenninica MTB Stage Race is an important showcase to make the treasures of our mountains known worldwide, from the landscape to the hospitality and culinary products,” says Barbara Franchi, mayor of Lizzano in Belvedere.