The second edition of the Italian stage of the Cyclo-cross World Cup was presented in Trento, the only global event designed to be raced on a snowy surface.
Source: press release
In the world of cyclocross there is a "before" and an "after" on 12 December 2021, the date on which in Vermiglio (TN), Grandi Eventi Val di Sole and Flanders Classics managed to transform a suggestion full of charm into a successful reality. A little over a year later, on Saturday 17 December, Vermiglio and the Val di Sole are preparing to relive what the Anglo-Saxons have renamed "snowcross", hosting for the second consecutive winter the only stage of the Cyclocross World Cup on the snow, at the 1300 meters of the Laghetti di San Leonardo, the only one in Italy in the Cup calendar.
The first experience was one to remember, not only for the feedback from the local public but for the enormous media and television visibility captured by the spectacular images of Vermiglio: a stage, not surprisingly, voted by cyclo-cross enthusiasts as an event of the year of the Cyclo-cross World Cup 2021/2022, followed by a large number of viewers on 15 international broadcasters.
Also for this reason, thousands of supporters from all over Europe are expected in Vermiglio and in particular from Belgium and the Netherlands, the two cradles of world cyclo-cross, and the hopes of one day seeing cyclo-cross among the Olympic disciplines also pass through Val di Sole of the Winter Games.
VAN DER POEL VS PIDCOCK, CHALLENGE AMONG THE TITANS IN VAL DI SOLE
The Cyclocross World Cup started in the United States in the first weekends of October, but traditionally it is the appointments between the end of November and the beginning of December that bring it to life with the debut of the great champions of the multidiscipline such as Mathieu Van der Poel and Tom Pidcock, two athletes who exalt this concept like no other, being also competitive on the road and in Mountain Bike.
The Dutchman approaches the challenge of Vermiglio on the strength of the winning debut of Hulst, in Holland, while the Briton is the reigning World Champion of the specialty and aims to leave his mark on the snow and ice of Val di Sole after his third place of the past year.
Absent 2021 winner Wout Van Aert, engaged in the pre-season training camp of Team Jumbo-Visma, Belgium promises to field World Cup leader Laurens Sweeck, Eli Iserbyt and European Champion Michael Vanthourenhout, a trio of top specialists in the cyclocross riders who have what it takes to aim for the big target.
Confirmed the presence in the women's race of the reigning champion, the young Dutch Fem Van Empel, firmly at the top of the general classification of the World Cup. Compatriots Puck Pieterse, Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado, Shirin Van Anrooij and Denise Betsema and the blue Silvia Persico, in great shape in 2022, will try to counter it.
The Bergamo rider won the bronze medal at the Cyclocross World Championships last January in Fayetteville (United States) and repeated it in September in Wollongong (Australia) also taking third place in the road race of the World Championships on Street.
THE PROGRAM
The program of the Val di Sole races, open to the Elite Men and Women categories, will take place over the two days of Friday 16 and Saturday 17 December.
Friday December 16
14.00-16.00 – Free practice
Saturday 17 December
10.45-12.45 – Free practice
13.00 – Elite Women Race
14.30 – Elite Men Race
TICKETS FOR SALE ON WWW.VALDISOLEBIKELAND.COM
Tickets for Saturday 17 December are on sale at the price of €15 on www.valdisolebikeland.com, with free admission under 12 years of age upon registration on the ticketing platform.
THEY SAID
Roberto Failoni, Councilor for Sport and Tourism of the Autonomous Province of Trento: “As in 2021, Vermiglio awaits the great cyclo-cross champions for an event destined to have an important impact on strategic markets for Val di Sole and Trentino. I still remember the unique emotion felt in seeing these extraordinary athletes arrive exhausted but happy to have run on a unique course of its kind. Last year we won the bet and I am convinced that it will be the same for this second edition."
Maurizio Rossini, CEO of Trentino Marketing: “This event was a courageous experiment which underlined the special relationship with the UCI and the FCI, the territory's ability to create alliances from an organizational point of view and the reliability that Trentino, in this case Val di Sole, which it has conquered over time. The organizational element, guaranteed by APT, Grandi Eventi and the municipality, has made Vermiglio the ideal place for such a special event. Also through the events we tell the story of the possibility of experiencing the bicycle in Trentino in every way, but always in safety and with respect for the territory and for everyone."
Fabio Sacco, Director of APT Val di Sole and Major Val di Sole Events: “Our idea was to create a link between mountain biking and winter, between two wheels and skiing and therefore two wheels on the snow in Vermiglio. Last year's challenge was precisely this: with Vermiglio we created something new which has given us great satisfaction, reaping important fruits. We are continuing to work and enrich the bike product: we have in fact mapped seven Alpine Gravel itineraries that we will launch for next summer, and the Cyclocross event was the one that better than any other allowed us to tell this new project. "
Michele Bertolini, Mayor of Vermiglio and Director of the Pontedilegno-Tonale Consortium: “Last year a dream came true for Vermiglio: the event welcomed the largest audience our municipality has ever seen. Also with regard to the summer, the bike product is growing: from next year the Val di Sole cycle path will also arrive in Vermiglio, right where the cyclo-cross course is located. This also demonstrates how much the area believes in the bike sector. "
Paola Mora, President of CONI Trentino: “Land of sports and events, with a unique organizational heritage spread throughout the territory, Trentino has also become a land of sporting experimentation, of new proposals. This event is a prodromal step to make winter cyclo-cross a heritage of Trentino. "
Massimo Ghirotto, President of the FCI Off-road Commission: “Trentino and Trentino Marketing for the Italian Cycling Federation, and for the off-road sector itself, have become central. Vermiglio and Val di Sole have a great history with mountain biking, but today this reality is further enhanced with this unique event in the world.”
