The Rustick and La Maxi Avalanche of Varazze
Between a day in the office and one as a speaker, I was able to devote myself to one of my greatest passions, which is to participate in a competition Downhill Marathon with mass start….
This time I was in one of the most beautiful locations in Italy for gravity lovers, Varazze, where the first edition of the Maxi Avalanche Varazze took place, a race with an amateur spirit but with a route capable of putting a strain on even the most trained athletes including the great guest Gusti Wildhaber who boasts a rich curriculum of international podiums in this discipline.
Meeting and departure
In this race the start was not traditional on the bike, but rather, the vehicles were positioned on the ground in their respective lines, in my case "Last line" and the athletes had to position themselves about fifty meters behind the last row and then spring like springs to retrieve the bikes and launch at breakneck speed on a technical, adrenaline-fueled but also wet path.
The race
When I heard the speaker announce the countdown 5 4 3 2 1 my brain went completely off with the only desire to give my best and fight for a good result.
At the time of the start I started running like crazy but unfortunately my skills as a sprinter were not the best and so I find myself in eighth position after jumping on the bike in pure Fantozzian style but with the calm technique of a former cyclocrossist.
The first five hundred meters were very fast, specially designed to allow overtaking and in fact on my right I see Luca guglielmucci jumping off like a gazelle, overtaking me before entering the very long single trail "like a true old school freeride" which I covered in about 20 minutes.
It was a slow, technical path, full of loose and fixed natural rocks still slippery from the rain that had fallen in the days before the race, thus making the competition even more difficult, adrenaline-fueled and interesting. (for the visitors of varazze the path I am talking about was 626)
The Rustick technique ...
On these conditions I used experience and prudence, descending without causing damage to the vehicle or even falling, a strategy that has borne fruit, thus starting my personal comeback ...
I start by overcoming my idol, Ugo Cattaneo who was right in front of me when he stands on a rock that he had not seen and thus identifies himself in a spectacular backflip, to my amazement I burst out laughing continuing my heat with a smile thinking about it to the artistic gesture proposed by the good Ugo.
While I was having fun like crazy I find on the street other athletes who preceded me such as Lorenzo Oda who broke the gear line and Mattia Zunino who had a puncture ... currently I am in the top 5 a result that thrilled me since there were two Swiss in front very strong and Guglielmucci who is one of the fastest enduro riders in Italy ...
After more than twenty minutes in the middle of the stones I come out on an asphalted road, finally I could rest my arms, I turn to check my advantage over the pursuers and behind me I feel the pressure of that old fox of Ugo who in the fall does not nothing is done and he has left again more nasty than before ...
We are over twenty minutes away from the race when we come out on a road that should have taken us on a stretch where we had to pedal for about 15 minutes between guided slight flat and uphill bumps before tackling the last fun descent to Varazze on the path called hard. rock also known as ps1 of Superenduro 2016.
Where Rustick is, there is guaranteed adventure ...
And this is where the nicest adventure of 2019 was born for me Ugo, but also for Gusti who was first but also for other athletes ...
Unfortunately at a crossroads a sling flew off with the wind and we took the wrong track ending up in the municipality of Cogoleto, 5 km from Varazze where the race was scheduled to finish ...
But you want to know the funny thing? Ugo and I continued to fight unconscious of being on the wrong path and while he yelled at me in the Brescia dialect (from Rustick pota go go push), I laughed at his accent but at the same time I felt confusion as I had never seen those places and so how is it possible that they changed the route in half without warning?
Oh well we arrive in Cogoleto, by now I had understood that we had made a mistake, but Ugo still wanted to go in search of the finish convinced we were still in the race and in those moments I was a mix of emotions, competitive anger for not having finished the race, but also a lots of fun thinking about what happened, not even in comic films are there a Piedmontese and a Bresciano lost in Liguria looking for a goal
Never mind my race ended with so many thoughts on the future of this sport ...
Event Considerations
My first consideration is dedicated to Varazze Mtb two guys I met and who put their soul, body and heart to create a "very cool" event for lovers of the discipline, the trails were perfect, among the most beautiful and technical I've ever route, in my opinion even more beautiful than Ile de La Reunion.
The location is frightening, Varazze, well organized with vans, sea, beach, aperitifs, many paths, friendly environment and above all, you two guys who at the age of twenty make the bunch to organize an event that brings tourism to the locality and fun for the rider and they believed in a discipline that few in Italy consider, although in my opinion it is the true essence of mountain biking long technical and physical descents with strategic battles and physical contact! Rock n roll
But I hope this experience of the webbing will be a lesson for next year, which in my opinion there will be a space event ...
Personal consideration
I love these events where you see the real riders capable of letting go downhill, able to pedal, smart to overtake and able not to fall or break.
I was happy to spend two days at the beach in the environment I love being in which is that of Gravity
P, capable of pedaling, smart to overtake and capable of not falling or breaking.
I was happy to spend two days at the beach in the environment where I love to be.
