Among the women Costanza Fasolis, Amy Wakefield, Adelheid Morath and Samara Sheppard. On his first participation, and on his return to mountain bike, the "Knight of the Four Moors" Fabio Aru who, having abandoned road cycling, returned to his first love: mountain biking.
Source: press release
Very little is missing until Saturday 18 June 2022 when the twelfth edition of the BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites will start, the toughest mountain bike marathon in the world that promises to give a great show for this 2022 as well.
At the moment over 3.000 starters are expected on the starting line, ready to challenge themselves and the iconic race tracks drawn on the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Professionals and amateurs from 41 nations, from Brazil to Australia and for the first time there are representatives of the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines. Further proof of the increasingly international character of the BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites, this year the opening appointment of the HERO Series circuit that took inspiration from this event.
The favorites for the men's podium
Confirmed the departure from the now irreplaceable location of Selva Val Gardena, important names in the off-road cycling scene will be present at the start. For the men's title you will ride on the 86-kilometer track with 4.500 meters of elevation gain. A path certainly well known to the Colombian Leonardo Paez, from this year bearer of the Soudal - Lee Cougan International Team. Marathon world champion in 2019 and 2020 and nine times on the podium of the HERO Dolomites, he will also see his compatriot vice-world champion Arias Cuervo Diego Alfonso of the Hubbers Polimedical team competing. For him a return to the Dolomites, and he is ready to aim for the podium after the fourth place in 2021. Also registered is the Swiss Urs Huber, standard bearer of Team Bulls and no. 7 of the UCI Ranking. He also knows the “HERO” well, having been on the podium in 2014, 2018 and 2019, but never as a winner. Samuele Porro of team Wilier Triestina - Pirelli Factory Team also confirmed: five times Italian Marathon XCM Champion and third at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships XCM 2019, he finished the BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites 2021 in second place. Do not forget Juri Ragnoli, standard bearer of the Scott Racing Team and winner of the HERO Dolomites 2017. With them, the home favorite Gerhard Kerschabaumer of Specialized Factory Racing waving the tricolor and closing the list of favorites.
The international television distribution of the BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites 2022 is truly unprecedented, and was made possible thanks to the agreements made by the organization of the HERO Series circuit, of which the race in the Dolomites is the first stage of the 2022 edition, with the most important international broadcasters.
From Sardinia to leave your mark
This edition of the HERO Dolomites will also see a great return to off-road for a much loved athlete who has achieved important successes in his professional career as a road cyclist. This is the "Knight of the Four Moors" Fabio Aru who boasts in his palmares an amazing victory at the Vuelta a España 2015. As mentioned, for him a return to mountain biking, a discipline that saw him engaged in his beginnings as a junior.
Another very friendly champion of the HERO is Pasquale Bruno: former Juventus and Turin footballer, in his fifth participation.
The athletes at the start
Also important are the names of the athletes who will compete for the BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites 2022 title on the 60-kilometer course with 3.200 meters of elevation gain. It starts with Costanza Fasolis, no. 6 of the UCI Ranking and seventh at the HERO Dolomites 2021, which will compete with the German Adelheid Morath of Team Mount7, at her first time in the Dolomites. Amy Wakefield, new national champion of South Africa, and the New Zealander Samara Sheppard, two-time champion at the Oceania Continental Championships, have come from far away, and at the first test with the HERO Dolomites. In 2011 and 2012 winner of the HERO Dolomites, which for her is now a fixed appointment, also confirms the presence of Katrin Schwing of Team TV Mosbach as well as Elena Gaddoni, winner of the HERO Dolomites in 2017. Finally, eyes focused on the Polish Michalina Ziolkowska of the team Huzar Bike Academy which after two second positions conquered in 2014 and 2016 could give a hard time to colleagues.
Finally, the home athlete Anna Oberparleiter was present on her debut at the HERO Dolomites, after having been on the podium several times at the European and National XCO and XCE Championships.
An edition broadcast to every corner of the Earth
Confirming the internationality of the BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites internationality, the important television schedule scheduled for this 2022 edition. The race images will in fact be broadcast live for over 2 hours from 10.00 to 12.15 (CEST) on Saturday 18 June 2022 in addition 40 countries internationally, from the USA to South America, from Europe to North Africa, from the Middle East to Indonesia. National visibility will be offered by Raisport which will broadcast the race images from 10.00 to 12.15. It will be possible to follow the event, live and always from 10.00 to 12.15 (CET) on Saturday 18 June 2022, also on the digital sports platforms Global Cycling Network (GCN), which guarantees coverage in 207 countries, and Eurosport Player, which reaches 75 countries of the earth.
For information and registration: www.heroworldseries.com
