There are races you plan months in advance, and others that, almost without realizing it, slip into the calendar at the last minute. Our Italian Enduro Championship was born more or less like this.
This weekend we went to Bidiciatico, in the province of Bologna. I'd never been there, even though I'd heard great things about it, and we hadn't even initially planned on participating in this race.
Then Davide, a rookie boy that we follow and train, asked me if I could accompany him to try the course.
At that point I just had to convince my dad Fulvio to drive the camper.
Mission accomplished.
We set off and, in the end, I have to say that we did really well.
An Italian Enduro just the way I like it
They had told me good things about the place and they were right.
The route included four special stages and a pedaled lap with approximately 2.000 meters of elevation gain. It was a tough race, especially physically demanding.
And that's one of the things I appreciated the most.
For me this was a really great Italian Enduro Championship.
Even on the special stages, there were some technical sections worth stopping for, looking, and perhaps evaluating two different lines. But without going for anything particularly extreme.
The real difficulty came in putting it all together.
The special stages, the long pedaling sections, the transfers and climbs that could last up to an hour and a quarter. It wasn't enough to simply go fast on the descents: you needed legs, stamina, and the ability to manage the entire day well.
And this is exactly what, in my opinion, Enduro should be.
A complete race, in which the enduro riders are the ones who come out on top.
On Saturdays I preferred to dedicate time to the boys
On Saturday I did the test ride, but I chose not to try all the special stages.
Partly because I wanted to conserve energy for the next day's race and partly because I had decided to focus more on the boys.
In the morning, I accompanied a young student on her first special stage, which for us was PS2. In the afternoon, I dedicated myself to Davide.
When you follow young riders, I think these moments are important. It's not just about showing them a line: you have to try to help them understand the terrain, where it's worth taking risks, where it's better to be clean, and how to tackle such a long race without wasting energy.
In the meantime, my dad Fulvio also tried a special.
Then he saw how hard the climb was and decided that perhaps it would be smarter to save his legs for Sunday.
I'd say the choice worked.
We had fun on Sunday
The race went well.
Dad managed to win the Italian M7 Champion jersey, I finished second and Davide took home a nice fifth place among the Rookies.
I'd say we could return to the camper quite satisfied.
But, beyond our results, there was something else that particularly pleased me over the weekend.
Seeing so many kids.
Almost 50 Rookies: I really liked this one
If I remember correctly, there were around fifty debutants.
And in my opinion this is very good news.
When you see so many young guys at the start it means there is interest, there is a desire to race and above all there is a generation that is approaching Enduro.
Following Davide and the other guys during the trials, I also found myself experiencing the Italian Championship in a slightly different way than in the past.
Of course, when I put the number on the bike, I still want to go fast. That doesn't change.
But at the same time I like being able to make what I've learned over many years of racing available to younger people.
Advice on a line, how to tackle a special stage, or simply how to manage such a long day might seem like a small thing. But when you're a rookie competing in an Italian Championship, it can make all the difference.
And seeing about fifty kids at the start made me think that, at least from this point of view, something good is moving.
A real race, without the need to exaggerate
Returning to the race, what I take home from Bidiciatico is above all the feeling of having raced a true Italian Enduro.
You don't necessarily need impossible passages or extreme situations to make a race difficult.
Here there were special stages that required good driving, some technical points to interpret, a lot of physical effort and transfers that, in the long run, made themselves felt.
At the end of the day you still had to be clear-headed and have enough energy to keep pushing.
For me, Enduro is also this.
And that's probably why I liked this Italian Championship so much.
And finally the shirt went up on the camper
We left almost at the last minute, mainly because Davide had asked me to accompany him to try the route.
We came back with his fifth place, my second place and above all with my dad Fulvio who took home the Italian M7 Champion jersey.
Not bad.
But the thing that remains most with me from this weekend is perhaps everything that surrounded the result.
A place I wasn't familiar with and that I loved. A tough and comprehensive race. Time spent on the special stages with the guys. Lots of youngsters at the start. My dad, who continues to wear a number on his bike and who this time comes home wearing a tricolor jersey.
And of course a camper to take home.
Luckily, he continues to drive that one.
Alex Lupato
