The Capoliveri Legend Cup took place in the splendid setting of the Island of Elba, for the third time the UCI Marathon Series! Leonardo Paez of the Giant Liv Polimedical team has earned the highest step of the podium after a race of 80km and 3000 meters of elevation gain!
Source: press release
Almost all of the Italian elites and many of the best foreign specialists were at the start of the ninth edition of the beautiful Elban race. World mountain biking has returned to the island of Elba, for the third test year of the prestigious UCI Marathon Series. Breaking all records with over 2.100 subscribers. Strong victory in the final for the Colombian Leonardo Paez and in the women's field Elena Gaddoni, but they were not easy victories, resulting from close fights.
Capoliveri (LI), after the event on Friday, which met with great success, the highlight has arrived, the Capoliveri Legend Cup, organized by the Capoliveri Bike Park in collaboration with the Municipality of Capoliveri, a real pearl among the Italian races. A hard but at the same time exhilarating route, with breathtaking descents and extraordinary panoramic passages. The race, in addition to being a UCI Marathon Series test, was also this year a national marathon and a test of the FCI Marathon Tour, with a distance of 80 km and over 3.000 meters in altitude, partially revised compared to the 2017 edition. top Italian teams, which have given life to a race worthy of a national championship, and to counter them the Topeak Ergon of the world champion, the Austrian Alban Lakata and his partner Krisrian Hynek. In addition to them, the DMT Racing Team was present with Tiago Ferreira and Hans Becking and many other top riders.
At 8.00 the grids are already crowded and the speakers Fabio Cecchi and Paolo Malfer have their work cut out to announce and interview all the prestigious names at the start, all followed by live streaming, which covered the entire race with multiple connections from the route commented by Fabio Balbi and Tiziano De Cristoforo.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn48hjsdfcA]
The public waiting for the competitors in one of the many spectacular passages At 8.30 the start, with the thick group that crosses the center of Capoliveri at a controlled speed, until reaching kilometer zero. Immediately a long climb to make the selection, first on asphalt and then dirt, climb that culminates at the gpm of the sentry box, where the first to pass are Tiago Ferreira (DMT Racing Team) and female Mara Fumagalli (Focus Xc Italy Team).
The wait at the "Wall of the Legend" The group regroups along the climb that leads back to Capoliveri for the passage to the legendary "Wall of the Legend", at the 60th km of the race, with a trio in command, led by Ragnoli, with Paez and Francesco Casagrande, a few meters away is Kerschbaumer.
Paez attacks and only Ragnoli holds up to the pace of the Colombian, but in an attempt to get back on his head he spends too much energy, which he will miss in the final. Paez thus reaches the finish line alone with a time of 3 hours 40 'and 50 ”.
After a little less than a minute the twist, Ragnoli shows up on the final straight but in the last meters he is reassembled by Francesco Casagrande and Medvedev, with the disappointed Italian champion who has to settle for fourth position.
Even in the women's competition there are reversals. Katazina Sosna, in command for almost the entire race, is jumped first by Elena Gaddoni and then by Mara Fumagalli, who close in order.
Men's Marathon ranking
1 Paez Leon Hector Leonardo (Team Giant Polymedical) 03: 40: 56.29
2 Casagrande Francesco (Cicli Taddei) 03: 41: 50.77
3 Medvedev Alexey (Cicli Taddei) 03: 41: 51.03
4 Ragnoli Juri (Scott Racing Team) 03: 41: 52.28
5 Kerschbaumer Gerhard (Torpado Gabogas) 03: 42: 57.28
6 Salerno Cristiano (Scott Racing Team) 03: 44: 23.52
7 Lakata Alban (Canyon Topeak) 03: 44: 26.02
8 Ilias Periklis (Giant-Liv Polimedical) 03: 44: 27.02
9 Sarai Pietro (Scott Racing Team) 03: 44: 27.27
10 Favilli Elia (Team Bike Innovation Focus Rosti) 03: 45: 04.77
11 Paulissen Roel Tony (Cannondale Rh Racing) 03: 45: 15.52
12 Pruus Peeter (Torpado-Südtirol International Mtb Pro Team) 03: 47: 12.52
13 Tronconi Martino (Team Bike Innovation Focus Rosti) 03: 48: 14.67
14 Dal Grande Stefano (Bottecchia Factory Team) 03: 48: 18.74
15 Becking Hans (Dmt Racing Team) 03: 48: 32.25
16 Chiarini Riccardo (Torpado-Südtirol International Mtb Pro Team) 03: 49: 40.25
17 Cominelli Cristian (Soudal Leecougan Mtb Racing Team) 03: 50: 30.23
18 Ferreira Tiago (Dmt Racing Team) 03: 50: 45.47
19 Bonelli Efrem (Bottecchia Factory Team) 03: 51: 12.73
20 Billi Jacopo (Cicli Olympia) 03: 51: 47.22
Women's Marathon ranking
1 Gaddoni Elena (Cicli Taddei) 04: 24: 39.51
2 Fumagalli Mara (Focus Xc Italy Team) 04: 26: 48.26
3 Sosna Katazina (Torpado-Südtirol International Mtb Pro Team) 04: 28: 12.50
4 Nisi Maria Cristina (Team Bike Innovation Focus Rosti) 04: 33: 00.21
5 Pellizzaro Jessica (Team Trek Selle San Marco) 04: 35: 00.96
6 Ribechini Valentina (Ciclissimo Bike Team) 04: 47: 31.68
7 Fasolis Costanza (Team Giant Polymedical Official Team) 04: 49: 25.51
8 Burato Chiara (Focus Xc Italy Team) 04: 56: 55.82
9 Gastaldi Elisa (Team Passion Faentina) 04: 57: 53.95
10 Scipioni Silvia (Cicli Taddei) 04: 59: 31.70
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYDaqLHt2U]
