Everything is ready in Barcelona for one of the most anticipated off-road events of the year: the MTB Eliminator World Championship.
Source: FCI press release
The appointment is therefore on Sunday 2 October for the world XCE review staged in the Catalan city, which has also hosted the World Cup since 2019, offering the Eliminator stars a scenic location and a spectacular track. The race will take place as usual in front of the imposing Montjuïc National Palace, next to the majestic Montjuïc hill. The track will be similar to that of previous years, but with renewed obstacles and a further curve between the iconic staircase and the finish line. The hunt for the 2022 world titles will kick off with the qualifiers starting at 14pm, while the first heats will start at 35pm.
There will also be Italy with two Azzurri in the race: Emanuele Huez in the male and Gaia Tormena in the female.
"A path that is only apparently simple - the words of the CT Mirko Celestino - given the presence of artificial platforms and stairways. A decidedly short track, from one minute to lap. The location is wonderful, with the Piazza delle Fontane. We expect a lot of audience and we are doing well. We have disposed of the very long journey, 7 hours. We play something important and we are focused because the shorter the match, the more the error counts. The boys, however, had the opportunity to study all the details, we came here a day early just to put them in the best conditions.".
Reigning World and European Champion, our "Miss Eliminator" with long brown hair and attentive green eyes will race on the circuit to defend the rainbow jersey she won last year in Graz (Austria). A super season 2022, that of Tormena, which dominated the UCI World Cup (its 6 rounds out of 8) and conquered the top of the general classification already in the penultimate stage of the circuit. The falls in Abu Dhabi and Winterberg have left their mark, but the charge is the same as always, the words of Gaia: “After a few days of rest, the injuries no longer hurt. But mentally I had some difficult days. Falling so close to the World Championships was difficult to manage, I was afraid it would happen again in Barcelona. But in the meantime, my mental state has changed: I have no more stress. I can't wait to race ”.
The men in the blue jersey will be Emanuele Huez, Italian specialty champion in 2021 and in the light of the Oudenaarde World Cup stage thanks to a good fourth place in the final. The big favorite is German Simon Gegenheimer, reigning world champion and overall winner of the 2022 World Cup, winning half of the circuit's rounds and often showing a dominant running style. The list of contenders aiming for the rainbow jersey is long, but to keep an eye on will certainly be Titouan Perrin-Ganier, four-time world champion and runner-up in the cup. After what he called a “frustrating season”, Perrin-Ganier aims to add another world title to his rich palmarès.
THE ITALIAN CONVOCATIONS
HUEZ EMANUELE - CS CARABINIERI OLYMPIA VITTORIA
TORMENA GAIA - GS LUPI VALLE D'AOSTA
The team will be directed by coach Mirko Celestino.
