The 2024 edition of Appenninica MTB Stage Race officially kicked off on Sunday, September 1st, from the very center of Bologna. In the iconic Sala Borsa, one of Bologna’s historic libraries and a cultural hub of the Emilia-Romagna capital, it was time for the preliminary operations.
Among the riders were many familiar faces: from Mark Anolik to Clive Caldwell, from Lola Bakker to Zbig Mossoczy. Riders that are joining the race for the second, third or even fourth time, testament to the great atmosphere of the Appenninica Family, which often gets full praise from the whole peloton. “This is my fourth participation! It will be a fantastic week among friends, an experience like no other in the MTB world. I can’t wait to relive these emotions!” said Mark Anolik, former US pro downhill athlete.
The familiar atmosphere is one of the defining features of Appenninica, and a main reason why almost half of the athletes return each year. Even though the challenge is tough (400 km and 13,000 m of elevation gain), with demanding climbs and technical descents, more and more familiar faces gather on the Apennines to ride, suffer and enjoy together an incredible experience.
The route provides plenty of points of interest, and together with the world-famous Italian hospitality makes Appenninica worth the effort. It’s a perfect recipe to showcase the entire region through cycling, outdoors and an active lifestyle, as highlighted by the Delegate Councillor for Tourism of the Municipality of Bologna, Mattia Santori.
“Bologna is glad and proud to have you back after the first edition in 2019,” said Mattia Santori, Delegate Councillor for Tourism of the Municipality of Bologna. “You invested in our region, and it’s right that we welcome you in one of our finest venues, Sala Borsa. It has been a great summer for sport in our city: among others, we hosted the Tour de France, now Appenninica and next week the Italian Tennis Team ahead of the Davis Cup.“
FROM BOLOGNA TO LOIANO RETRACING THE “VIA DEGLI DEI” HIKE
Tomorrow, Monday, September 2nd, the riders will begin their journey from the heart of Bologna, retracing the footsteps of the Tour de France. From the Arco del Meloncello the peloton will head towards the challenging San Luca climb, two months after Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and the best road cyclists in the world. After a tough uphill start, the 43 km route with 1550 m of elevation gain will immediately test the riders’ legs as they journey from Bologna to Loiano.
Once the San Luca climb is conquered, the course will follow the Reno river on the same flat track as the “Via degli Dei” (Gods’ Way). It’s a well-known hiking trail on an ancient Roman road from Bologna to Florence, that in 2022 alone recorded 22,000 passings. This historical and unique setting will welcome the peloton and serve as a calling card for the Emilia-Romagna beauties.
In the final part of the race, the caravan leaves the city once and for all to dive into the Apennines and its wild nature. A first climb towards Monte Mario and a second one featuring 400 m of elevation gain towards the new stage venue of Loiano, will be the first judges of the 2024 edition.
Race preparations are over, everything is set: it’s time for Appenninica MTB Stage Race 2024.