Federico Mandelli delivered on his promise today. Ahead of the Appenninica MTB Stage Race, the 27-year-old Italian said that his focus was on stage 3, and he delivered. In a close duel with the General Classification leader Hans Becking, Mandelli held on and outsprinted the Dutchman on the final straight, winning in 3:17:39. This is the first success for the Italian, at his fourth consecutive participation at Appenninica.
“Everyone should experience Appenninica: this is mountain biking at its purest,” said Mandelli in his previous feature in the Italian stage race. And today, September 4th, along the 59 km and 2,600 m of elevation gain from Lizzano in Belvedere to Fiumalbo, it was nothing but pure MTB. The trails leading up and down from the Corno alle Scale first and to the Monte Cimone second tested the stamina and the driving skills of the peloton, even more in the second part of the race when the weather turned for the worst.
As soon as the race began, a select group including Mandelli, Becking, Weinberg, Cacchi, Miguel Martinez, and Juul Van Loon surged to the front, setting a blistering pace, well aware of the first ever Appenninica KOM. Former Olympic champion Miguel Martinez attacked first, Van Loon led the chase and closed the gap, before sprinting on the uphill and taking the Corno alle Scale KOM ahead of Luca Cacchi in the wonderful scenery of the Scaffaiolo Lake.
On the following descent, Mandelli and Becking raised the pace and left the bunch. The duo battled it out until the finish line, where the Italian of the Piraz Coaching Academy finally outsprinted Becking and raised his arms in Fiumalbo.
“I’m thrilled to have claimed my first Appenninica win. I knew this stage would be spectacular, both for its challenging route and breathtaking views,” said Mandelli at the finish line. “When you reach the top at the Corno alle Scale you just want to stop and enjoy the landscape: wow!“
“Now I remember why this is my favorite stage. The views are just amazing, the uphill is steep but downhill is fast and bumpy, I love it!” echoed Becking.
In the GC, Becking remains the leader, 10:12 ahead of Italian Luca Cacchi, who placed third today, and 11:01 ahead of Peat Weinberg. However, Mandelli has now the podium in sight, being only 7:14 behind with three stages to go.
BRENN TAMES THE RAIN, BAKKER BOUNCES BACK
Nina Brenn seems unstoppable, clinching her third consecutive victory in 4:38:41, finishing 8:15 ahead of Dutch rider Lola Bakker and 16:18 ahead of Spaniard Ada Xinxó Morera. Thanks to these results, and to the hard day for Portuguese Celina Carpinteiro, Bakker is now back on the GC podium behind Brenn and Xinxó Morera. However, with half of the race to go, anything can still happen.
Today, after leaving a sunny Vidiciatico, the weather turned for the worst in the second part of the stage: Brenn, the entire women’s peloton and many other athletes were still on the course and they had to fight with an extra, relentless, opponent.
The already challenging course became treacherous, with slick surfaces and severely reduced visibility. “It has been one of the hardest stages of my life,” said the experienced Celina Carpinteiro at the finish line. “In the first part we saw wonderful landscapes, then the rain hit and made it epic“.
STAGE 4 LOOPS AROUND FIUMALBO
A new addition in the 2023 edition, Fiumalbo will feature in no less than three stages in this year’s Appenninica. After hosting today’s finish line, the village in the Modena Apennines will be starting and ending point of tomorrow’s stage 4, before saluting the peloton on Friday for the Queen Stage leading to the final venue of Castelnovo ne’ Monti.
Stage 4 features a 55 km route with 1,950 m of elevation gain, tracing the historic Via Vandelli. The route will quickly cross the border between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, before climbing to the Apennines’ peaks and descending again toward Fiumalbo.