The eagerly awaited appointment of the Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race is approaching, the festival of the big names in international mtb scheduled for 1 and 2 April. The classic event in Nals, in South Tyrol, never ceases to amaze and the stars of the fat wheels will ride on the adrenaline-pumping circuit.
Source: Newspower press release
It is known that the great champions win at the Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race and the 31-year-old Luca Braidot from Gorizia, after his second place in 2016 and third place in 2019, is among the candidates to win the 22nd edition. He needs no introduction, in his palmares he boasts a bronze medal at the 2022 Elite XC World Championships, as well as a world title and four European team relay titles. The blue athlete of Santa Cruz Rockshox, second in the Cross-Country UCI Elite Ranking, he also won the recent class 1 Pineta Sperane XCO international race, beating teammate Nadir Colledani and brother Daniele.
Victory at the Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race will not be so obvious, because the Belgian Jens Schuermans (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) is also entered, who was 5 times national Elite champion, also boasting 5 podiums in the World Cup in his career and two participations in the Olympics in 2016 and 2020, and the Polish national champion Bartłomiej Wawak of the KTM Factory Team.
If there is no shortage of champions in the men's field, even among women there is no joking around. The Dutch champion Anne Tauber (Orbea Factory Team) is expected in Nalles, second in the Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race in 2019 and climbed to the third step of the podium in the Open race at the Coppa Città di Albenga a couple of weeks ago.
The Ukrainian champion Yana Belomoina, first in the UCI ranking, will also parade Cross-Country Women's Elite 2017 and UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 2014 champion in the U23 category. She too climbed the South Tyrolean podium in 2019, in the race won by the Swiss Sina Frei. Also present at the historic race was the Polish champion Paula Gorycka, a former professional on the road from 2009 to 2016.
These are only the first elite names that will be found at the start on Saturday 1st April, with the start of the women's Elite and Junior scheduled at 11.30, while the men will start two hours later. On the other hand, the Junior men's category will inaugurate the day with the official start of the race at 9.30. On Sunday, starting at 9.30 am, the Beginners and Allievi, 1st and 2nd year categories will take to the circuit.
The South Tyrolean organizing committee is already working to set up a "world" circuit among the vineyards and apple orchards of Nalles.
Info: www.sunshineracers-nals.it
