Class 1993, Sarah Reiners is a young mountain bikers but a very successful one in long distance races. She is already one of the top MTB stage racers in Europe.
She took part in BEMC (Belgium), Bike Transalp, 4Islands (Croatia), Trans Schwarzwald (Germany), Bike Adventure (Poland), Trans Zollernalb (Germany), Zillertal Bike Challenge (Austria), Rally di Romagna (Italy).
In 2016 she won the BIKE Transalp in the women category, and won the 4Islands in Croatia in 2017 in the mixed category. She represented Germany in the past XCM UCI World Championship in Switzerland and she races for the team EDELSTEN MTB ladies.
Let’s hear why Appenninica in 2020:
“For 2020 I wished to do again a longer stage race (up to 7 or 8 days) in a team of two because I wanted to do a stages race together with my boyfriend who has now been training with me several years, but we’ve never done a race together. We both love Italy and as we heard that the food should be so great at Appenninica, we know that Appenninica should not only be our first race together but also our holidays.
As the race is limited to 150 participants, we hope to enjoy a unique familiar atmosphere there before and after the races and during the race we know that hard and challenging stages are waiting for us.
We are looking for a lot of climbing meters, fantastic single tracks and a wonderful (and for us a new) landscape.”
In 2020 is special for Sarah because it will be her 10th year doing MTB races. So, she wants to celebrate with a special race. She added this final comment when we connected: “I am dreaming about Appenninica because it sounds challenging, it’s long with 7 stages, it takes place in one of my favorite countries, and I can race it in a team of two”.
Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race 2020, which will take place between July 19th and 25th , has the goal to give its participants a total immersion in the “real mountain bike”, both as regards the tracks and as the atmosphere that is created before, during and after the single stages. A spirit that is so deep in competition and performance, but also fun and passion for off-road, all with the aim of creating not only a stage race, but also an exciting event for the bikers coming from all around the world.
And it is this philosophy of MTB experienced at 360 ° that convinced one of the legends of Italian off road cycling to take part in the 2020 edition, we are talking about Mirko Pirazzoli aka “Il Piraz”.
Pirazzoli, after growing up in the BMX world, started racing in MTB in the early 90s, and since then he has been one of the main actors of the off-road movement so as to win a European Cup XC in 2001, 7 podiums in the Italian XC national championships between 1999 and 2008, numerous World Cup XC races ended in Top 20, and be part of the Italian national team for 10 years.
He then decided to put his knowledge at the service of others through Piraz Coaching and his work as technical director and supporter for top level athletes including Andrea Tiberi, Miguel Martinez and Leonardo Paez … among many others.
Born and raised in Emilia Romagna has always stood out for his unique style and for his riding “bike sideways” well before Nino Schurter changed the rules of the game in cross country racing.
Mirko found in Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race a perfect event to launch its 2020’s Piraz Coaching Team, a project in which the “old” Pirazzoli takes talented young riders of the Italian MTB scene and, thanks to his experience and a qualified and experienced staff, takes the commitment to lead them to excel in Italian and international Marathon and Stage races.
All taking advantage of the territory and the trails where he himself has learned to ride a MTB, those of the Apennines of Emilia Romagna, or those where the Appenninica MTB Stage Race will pass next year.
“I learned here to ride Mtb,” says Pirazzoli. “Castel San Pietro, Imola, Corno Alle Scale, Fanano are my mountains. Even in 2000 I organized a competition on these trails, for this reason it was natural for me to support the Appenninica project. I would have liked to take part in the first edition, but you know… work. But this year I will use the 7 days of the Apennines to make the Piraz Coaching boys experience a unique race. I will not only be a participant, but also a real ambassador for Appenninica MTB, in fact as an athlete I went out of Italy to try to be the best and find great trails to ride on, while now I want to use my knowledge to bring the others to discover the beauties, the warmth and above all the highly technical and spectacular trails of my Apennines ”.
The territory is what Mirko Pirazzoli cares about the most: “The Apennines are perhaps one of the best areas in the world where MTB can be practiced, it has terrain that is practically impossible to find elsewhere, you are immersed in the woods with a terrain that we call “Pongo” and offers more grip than asphalt, all sprinkled with technical passages on roots, rocks and everything a biker dreams of. It is more varied and nervous than the endless Dolomite highways and less barren and rocky than the areas of Southern Italy. It allows you to play with your Mtb, allows you to improve both technically and physically. In addition, the trails are often in Natural Parks so perfectly maintained and in breathtaking scenery ”.
Another strong point is the climate that “in July in the Apennines is really perfect for sports. Warm, but not torrid, cool in the woods and you can pass in a very short time from the 2000 meters of the peaks, down to the valley bottom where often a river awaits you to dive in and rest the legs after a demanding ride ”.
As we said, Mirko Pirazzoli will compete at the Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race 2020 together with his Piraz Coaching boys.
“The races in team are the most beautiful, I discovered it at the 2017 Cape Epic. An exhausting but wonderful adventure, only in team you can experience the perfect synergy with your teammate, something that normally in Mtb you don’t feel. Your teammate becomes a part of you. For this reason I want my young guns to experience this feeling, just to enrich their experiential background with something unique. Also from the physiological point of view a stage race is better than competing every weekend, in 7 days you learn to know yourself and learn to drive like in an entire season in the saddle; also, you have the community with which you compare yourself every evening at dinner and this enriches you mentally. The more REAL MTB you chew and the faster you grow, the more you are in a group the more you grow. Everything must be shared and the opponents are not enemies, but companions of adventure, only the track and yourself are the real opponents “.
The Piraz and Appenninica MTB immediately find a connection because they both pursue the same things: transmitting passion for Mountain-biking creating something positive.
“If you have fun you don’t feel fatigue. The spirit with which we will face Appenninica MTB is just this: see the race as a game. But at the same time give the 100% during the stages, without say NO to ravioli or tortellini at the end of each stage, because too often those who compete have a wrong mentality that instead to benefit, create limits. The head is essential in a 7-day race and the human mind reaches 100% when it is happy and free. The kilometers in the saddle, the hours on the bike, the sacrifices and the training are fundamental, but there must be balance with fun and a light heart. This is why I chose Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race 2020, because balance it’s what I saw in the eyes and in the actions of those who organize it ”.
It’s hard to pass the opportunity to defend the title after a victory, whatever the sport or the situation. And so it goes that the organizers of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race were not all that surprised to receive among the first entries for the 2020 edition to be held from July 19 to July 25 2020 in Emilia Romagna, the one of Maurits Buist and Henk Bos, the winning couple of the 2019 edition.
The two strong Dutch athletes have decided once again to leave the lowlands of the Netherlands for 7 days and tackle the challenging trails all uphill and downhill in the Apennines.
We’ve interacted with them after several stages and they always finished with big smiles but they also reminded us what a “tough race” it was. In between smiles, you could tell that it was harder than they thought.
They engaged in a tight battle with Swiss team Meyer-Seifried. Things had a turning point on stage 5 when Seifried had to withdraw with an injured hand and Buist-Bos wore the green Natali team leader jearseys ever since. What ever competition they will face in 2020, they can now rely on a better understanding of the terrain and of how the terrain enhances their strenghts.
Buist – Bos #31
We were curious to know why they wanted to come back to compete in the Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race and we went to investigate:
Do you still have such good memories of Appenninica that you want to compete again this year?
We won’t forget the third stage for the rest of our life. A very narrow trail upon a high hill ridge. We had to focus every second to prevent crashing. Difficult for Dutchmen coming from a flat country.
Which part or which moment of the edition 2019 you want to relive in 2020?
We prefer the long distance stages. So we would like to relive the second and longest stage.
What led a Dutch team to compete in the Apennines?
We were told this region is one of the most beautiful regions of Italy..
Is it a region of Italy that you knew already?
No, this year it was our first visit.
What do you expect to find in the 2020 edition?
A repetition of this well organised event with delicious local food.
To whom would you recommend Appenninica MTB stage race?
This race is not only for very experienced bikers, but also for those who only bike now and then.
Yours plans for 2020? other races besides Appenninica?
We bike in Dutch competitions (crits, road classics and multi-day stages).
We have several dutch teams and solo riders already registered and we can speculate that there will be lots of orange on the podium of Appenninica MTB 2020.
Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race 2020 will take place from July 19 to July 25, 2020 departing from Porretta Terme (BO) and arriving in the stunning location of BERTINELLI CASEIFICIO DELLA MUSICA – Noceto (PR) for an unforgettable Gran Finale.
We have already checked the 7 stages of the 2020 edition in the past weeks and it will cover approximately 460 km and a total of 16.000m of elevation gain along the line of the Alta Via dei Parchi on the watershed with Tuscany.
The terrain will be very varied on completely natural trails, except for the sections built inside the Cimone Bike Park and Calestano. The participants of the first edition called it “real mountain bike” and to find out what they meant, you will have to participate yourself.
What has changed since last year?
Compared to the first edition, in 2020 the sections on trails and singletracks will increase, with fewer paved roads and less forest roads. On each stage, roots, rocks, and uneven terrain will entertain you, will make you sweat and will force you to keep focused. A challenging race, for sure, but also a very fun one!
Compared to 2019 the race is more vigorous. The philosophy of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race is a return to old style mountain biking, more challenging and adventurous, and over natural and unpredictable terrain with epic distances.
There will be a QUEEN STAGE and another long stage, so there will be 2 of them with mileage over 100 kms. Another news is the stage of Fanano Monte Cimone, a completely new loop-stage for this Appenninica 2020, which will offer incomparable panoramas because you will ride along the ridge with views on both sides of the Apennines.
ONLY 4 RACE VILLAGES
Since Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race promises to be tough one, we have decided to include 4 loop stages after the longest ones, in order to allow the athletes to better recover and also to give them the chance to enjoy the warm welcoming of the hosting villages. Shorter stages, but with considerable technical difficulties. It will be a race course worthy of the most famous stage races in the world such as Cape Epic and Transalp.
The Race Village, in each stage, will be set up in small and medium urban centers scattered throughout the Apennines along the route or with deviations adequate to the logistic requirements of the race. The most important thing is that they await our arrival with open arms. Appenninica will make you discover the warm welcome of its territory and of the communities of the Emilia-Romagna’s Apennines, one of the most interesting emerging Italian destinations for sporting and outdoor holidays.
STAGE VILLAGES FOR APPENNINICA 2020
PORRETTA TERME – BO
FANANO – MO
CASTELNOVO NE’ MONTI – RE
BERTINELLI CASEIFICIO DELLA MUSICA / NOCETO – PR
There are all of the conditions for an exciting 2020 edition of the Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage.
Remember that the spots available are only 150 so register soon and you can do so here.
Stay tuned because over the next few weeks we will tell you everything about each single stage of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race 2020.
The second edition of the Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race 2020 will start in about 10 months, from 19 to 25 July 2020, but it is already time to think about registration.
In fact, after the brief Early Birds parenthesis, online registration will open on October 1st with the Early Registration formula which, until December 31, offers registration at a discounted price.
To keep the Family Feeling that has been so successful in the first edition, the organizers of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race have decided to have a very limited number of places available:
50 Team (100 bikers)
50 Solo
“We want the atmosphere to remain the same as the first edition: the riders make friends and spend time together creating a Big Appenninica Family, the riders should not feel like tourists but part of the host communities. Moreover, we are also attentive to the aspect of our impact on the territory: we cross national and regional parks and we want to limit that our competition can disturb these protected habitats too” said Beppe and Milena, organizers of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race.
The formula of the Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race does not change for 2020, the race will take place over 7 days, without a prologue, but immediately with a “sparkling” Inaugural Stage in Porretta Terme (Alto Reno Terme). In total the race will cover about 440 km and 14,000 meters in elevation gain. The track, designed on paper and for a great part already scouted, will be confirmed after the spring reconnaissance. It will be largely unseen but the trails that have most excited the bikers in the 2019 edition will be included.
The next steps are the reconnaissance of the new stages before winter time, with the subsequent publication of tracks and altitudes on the website. The final route will be released only after the spring reconnaissance.
There are many confirmations, as well as news, for sure the organizational machine has now been tested and is ready to entertain and above all have fun together with the future Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race 2020 finishers.
