In the last days before the seasonal closure of the Commezzadura BikePark, the motorcyclist and technical commentator savored the emotions of MTB in Val di Sole, where last year the spark was struck with the e-Bike.
Source: press release
Team Barni rider in Superbike, MotoGP technical commentator on Dazn: Marco Melandri's agenda could not be fuller. Yet, in the life of the Romagna centaur there is also room for another type of two-wheeler: the bicycle, which from a simple pastime has become an increasingly important passion, and Marco's favorite escape when he is away from the circuits.
Melandri took advantage of the last days of the seasonal opening of the Bike Park Val di Sole, in Commezzadura, to experience a day of speed and adrenaline on the four available routes: Golden Eagle and White Wolf, of medium difficulty, Wild Grizzly of high difficulty and the legendary Black Snake, the most loved and feared track of the UCI World Cup Downhill.
Just in Commezzadura, just over a year ago, an opportunity born by chance had turned into something more. "In 2019 I took part in Electric Snake, the first e-MTB race organized as part of the World Cup program in Val di Sole. I remember I received my eBike just a few hours before the start, just the time to become familiar with the route together with Marco Aurelio Fontana and I threw myself into the fray. Without ambition to win, but with the desire to go fast, as always. And I enjoyed it so much that I haven't left the eMTB ever since. "
Also on this occasion, Melandri returned to pedal with his Thok on the slopes of the Electric Snake track, designed astride the Four-Cross track. A discipline that somehow feels close, given that his first two wheels as a kid were those of BMX.
The highlight of Melandri's day, however, was his first time on the most coveted and feared track of the Bike Park Val di Sole (and beyond): the Black Snake, which next year will return to assign the category rainbow jersey in the within the MTB World Championships scheduled in Val di Sole from 25 to 29 August 2021.
Accompanied for the occasion by the one who "invented" the Black Snake, Pippo Marani, Melandri did not hide some fear in the presence of the track: "I will face it slowly ..." said the centaur. A difficult promise to keep, for those who have been used to going fast for a lifetime. At the end, the response was all in the tired face and smiling lips: “Hard, so hard: to face the Black Snake you need a lot… heart. And doing it slowly doesn't help, on the contrary! But how nice to have conquered it. "
Since he chose to live in Carisolo, in Val Rendena, with his Manuela and little Martina, Val di Sole has been one of the places in the heart of the 38-year-old from Romagna, now a Visit Trentino ambassador. “Val di Sole is a very special place to cycle. Here, pages of the history of Mountain Bike have been written, it is a destination known all over the world for those who love off-road cycling, but there are many itineraries to discover on two wheels - by MTB, on the road and even by eBike. Not surprisingly, I also wanted to depict it on the new helmet with which I am facing the Superbike championship, together with other places in my Trentino, in winter and in summer. "
“Since I have lived in Trentino, the bicycle has become part of my life. It is a true passion, which I enjoy with a completely different spirit from the other two wheels that characterize my life. On a bike it's nice to challenge yourself, to struggle, but above all to discover, and in this the eBike has opened new horizons for me. But if I have to compete, I don't hold back: count on me for the next Electric Snake! "
