Source: press release
The 10th Valcavallina Superbike ends with the spectacular four-way battle that awards the Italian flag in the final part of the race. The ascent of Torrezzo and the technical descent along path 744 “Le Cucche” were decisive. Samuel Porro in a big way he wins his first tricolor in front of a rediscovered Ragnoli and a tenacious Ronchi. There veronesi makes three of a kind with the third title won in front of the outgoing champion Elena Gaddoni.
The 10th Valcavallina Superbike bears the signature of Samuele Porro from Como (Silmax X-Bionic) who this morning won the tricolor marathon title 2014, the first of his young career, closing the 03 km with the extraordinary time of 56:30:81. 3300 meters in altitude of a track that has proved to be an extraordinary stage on which some of the most beautiful competitive pages of national mountain biking have been indelibly written.
A tough, selective, technical and complete race from every point of view, put a strain on the more than 1100 bikers at the start. Here only the strongest, the most complete biker would have won, and not only from an athletic point of view. "I am too happy - are the words of Samuele Porro at the finish line - I knew I was fine, but I never lost concentration until the last corner because I also knew that the very demanding track could hide a thousand pitfalls and unexpected events."
The race comes to life after crossing the town of Entratico, around the 20th km, when the first to light the fuse is the Brescian Daniel Mensi (Scott Racing Team), one of the most anticipated athletes given the exciting start to the season, which at the beginning of the long ascent of Faeto tries to put his opponents in difficulty. But the 12 km of ascent leveled out the forces and at the first GPM, located at 1270 meters of the Colli di San Fermo, there are three to command the race.
Mensi, Porro and Luca Ronchi (Avion Axevo) precede a sly by about 30 ” Yuri Ragnoli (Scott Racing Team) apparently waiting for the best moment to attack the group that precedes him. In the women's field, on the other hand, it is the historical challenge between Daniel Veronesi (Torpado Factory Team) e Elena Gaddoni (FRM Factory Team) to turn on the tussle while the home athlete is signaled behind them Simon Bonomi (MTB Parre), however, belonging to the amateur categories. But the race begins to reap the first sentences by recording the unexpected withdrawals of athletes of the caliber ofJohnny Cattaneo e Damian Ferraro (Selle San Marco Trek), Marzio Deho (Olympia) e Christian Cominelli (Avion Axevo) who abandon the race ahead of time.
In the meantime, the lead of the race, now at kilometer 52, receives a new jolt when at the second GPM on the hills of San Fermo it is the Porro - Mensi couple who climb the hill first with an advantage of about 30 ”over Ragnoli and Ronchi. It is then up to the descent to reshuffle the cards on the table. Mensi falls due to a slip on the slippery path and leaves the way free for Porro who shows off all his skills as a downhill skier passing through the town of Adrara S.Rocco with about 40 "ahead of the pursuer who is Juri Ragnoli, in an amazing comeback. riding its bi-suspension.
From this point forward for Samuele Porro it is a solitary ride to the finish line, a fight against himself, a challenge with clarity and concentration to be kept above the guard levels by facing the last technical steps before returning to the town of Grumello. del Monte. This is the first Italian specialty title for the Como-born, a victory that can be celebrated on the podium alongside Juri Ragnoli, former Italian champion in 2012, and Luca Ronchi, who in the final manages to recover on a Daniele Mensi who, marked by the fall, closes in fourth place. In fifth position we find instead a tenacious Tony Longo (i.dro Drain Bianchi) who, after yesterday's crash in training and the persistent back and leg pains due to the bruises, grits his teeth honoring that title to the last centimeter. in 2013 on the slopes of Etna.
The women's race also sees its epilogue on the long descent towards Adrara S.Rocco with Daniela Veronesi who flies alone to the finish line where she wins her third tricolor marathon title, closing her 04 km with a time of 11:32:70. Second place for the outgoing champion Elena Gaddoni who after having tried several times to hang up with her friend and rival on the Fonteno ramps, must give up on the technical downhill sections. Third absolute position for women for thirty Lorraine Zocca (SC Barbieri), first woman in the women's categories, preceding Simona Bonomi, fourth but first master woman 1, and Francesca Bugnone (Controletech), fifth overall but third in the women's elite category.
The comments of the protagonists:
Samuel Porro:“A wonderful victory that repays many years of sacrifices and training. Today it was not easy, the course was really high level and the opponents could not be underestimated. It was a great race, from every point of view. Spectacular, complete, and selective course. Perfect weather conditions. Splendid organization. What else to say !? Thanks to everyone, for the cheering, thanks for the support. Thanks to those who have also had to put up with me in recent years. Thanks to my team, my teammates, our sponsors and my sports director Giuseppe Giordano. I want to share this victory with all of them. "
Yuri Ragnoli: “I admit to being prepared to win, so I certainly can't be satisfied with the result considering the great work done to be able to better prepare for this event. But sport is like that. Today the strongest certainly won. I did my best trying to manage the first part of the race well, trying to change the pace in the second. But Samuele was really a motorcycle today, I'm happy for him anyway."
Luca Ronchi: “We all knew that the race would take place in the second part, after the first GPM, and so it was! On the first climb towards S.Fermo we forced the pace a little to make the selection, there were four of us, and we understood that the new Italian champion was among us. The descent did not allow for distractions so I tried to recover on the last stretches before the arrival where I grabbed this good third place. "
Daniel Veronesi: “It was not a walk at all but I knew that I had to manage the climb well by controlling the opponents and then being able to play everything in the final part. I am very happy and with this victory I can celebrate with my team a beautiful trio after the titles won in Gualdo Tadino in 2011 and in Schio in 2012."
Men's general marathon ranking:
- Samuele Porro - Silmax X-Bionic - 03:56:30
- Juri Ragnoli - Scott Racing Team - 04:01:03
- Luca Ronchi - Avion Axevo MTB Pro Team - 04:03:41
- Daniele Mensi - Scott Racing Team - 04:04:47
- Tony Longo - i.dro Drain Bianchi - 04:04:48
- Davide di Marco - Race Mountain Pro Team - 04:09:51
- Giacomo Antonello - Polimedical - 04:10:54
- Johann Pallhuber - Silmax X-Bionic - 04:14:18
- Igor Baretto - Scott Racing Team - 04:14:37
- Alessandro Gambino - FRM Factory Team - 04:15:36
Women's marathon general classification:
- Daniela Veronesi - Torpado Factory team - 04:11:32
- Elena Gaddoni - FRM Factory Team - 04:14:42
- Lorena Zocca - SC Barbieri - 04:33:51
- Simona Bonomi - MTB Parre - 04:37:10
- Francesca Bugnone - Controltech - 04:37:17
- Cristina Roberti – Pro Bike Riding Teams – 04:38:43
- Nicoletta Bresciani - Scott Racing Team - 04:39:35
- Chiara Selva - Spezzotto Bike Team - 04:41:04
- Roberta Seneci - Racing Rosola Bike - 04:41:27
