Quite the contrary: on Saturday 8 July, thousands of enthusiastic cyclists and cyclists plan to cycle to discover the 3 Peaks / 3 Zinnen Dolomites region and complete one of the three proposed distances (123, 85 or 60 kilometres).
Source: press release
Head of the organizing committee Kurt Ploner has plenty to smile about with his agile team. On the one hand, the preparations for the mountain bike classic in Villabassa are running smoothly. On the other hand, a week and a half before the start, registrations for the 28th edition of the renowned cycling event in South Tyrol have increased again. “Lately there are between 20 and 50 new signups per day. If we can maintain the same pace over the next few days, this year we will have 2600 participants at the start and we will once again be the largest MTB Marathon in South Tyrol”, says Kurt Ploner, who has been running the event since its first edition in 1995.
As then, this year too all eyes will be focused on the stars of the mountain bike world, for example on the holder of the victories record Leonardo Paez. The Colombian, who in the meantime has moved to Italy, was the first to cross the finish line in Villabassa in 2006, 2016, 2021 and in the last edition. This year he intends to get his fifth success. Paez will have some very strong opponents, such as local star performer and 2022 European champion Fabian Rabensteiner, former world champion Tiago Ferreira (Portugal) and Swiss legend Urs Huber. According to forecasts, the athlete to beat in the women's field will be the former European champion, the Lithuanian Katazina Sosna who had already triumphed in the Superbike in the past, to be exact in 2017.
A program for all tastes
The program of the 28th Dolomiti Superbike on Saturday 8 July has been fixed for some time. At 7.30 am in the center of Villabassa the great mountain bike adventure will start, which will take the participants to the most beautiful places in the 3 Peaks / 3 Zinnen Dolomites region. Shortly before 10 am the winners of the classic distance race (60 km) will be expected at the finish line, while a good half hour later it will be the turn of the best bikers of the medium distance (85 km). Then, just before 13 pm, it will be time to celebrate the fastest cyclists over the long distance (123 km) as they arrive at the finish line.
But the Dolomiti Superbike is not only a competition, but also a great cycling festival. From Thursday afternoon to Saturday evening, therefore, a great expo will be held, much appreciated by the public: numerous producers will present and sell their articles. The new generation of cycling will also be satisfied with the Junior Trophy, which will take place on Sunday 9 July starting at 10 am and which, with the grand prize giving at 13 pm, will close the event under the banner of mountain biking.
Special price until June 30th
Entries for the three distances – 60 km (1570 m altitude difference), 85 km (2360 m D) or 123 km (3400 m D) – are still open at the link https://onreg.datasport.com/suedtirol-dolomiti- superbike-villabassa-i-2023. The registration fee amounts to 90 euros for those who register by June 30th. Each participant will receive a goodie bag containing a gift, fine products from the 3 Peaks / 3 Zinnen Dolomites region, information material, bib number and transponder for timing and a voucher for the pasta party. From July 1, the registration fee will increase.
