Source: press release
Weekend with a high adrenaline rate is scheduled in Val Gardena between Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July, when the streets of Ortisei and the paths of Monte Pana in Santa Cristina will host two top level mountain bike competitions with the imprinting of Südtirol Sellaronda HERO at the end of June.
Val Gardena (BZ), 05.07.2014 - The second weekend of July will be dedicated to mountain biking in Val Gardena. Let's startSaturday July 12 with the HERO XCE, or rather the competition in the innovative format "Eliminator" drawn on a city track in the heart of Ortisei (a 370-meter loop to be repeated twice). The race includes online challenges between four bikers and only the two fastest go to the next round, as in a tennis scoreboard, to then compose the final that decrees the winner.
«After last year's debut we wanted to re-propose the eliminator race for its spectacularity - comments Gerhard Vanzi, responsible for the organization - and in this edition we expect an extended participation to many foreigners". And among the great international interpreters of this specialty that requires explosive strength and excellent control of the vehicle but also tactical acumen and a lot of courage, there is the Austrian Daniel Federspiel twice gold medal at the European XCE Championships and holder of the continental title. Do not forget the participation of Gerhard Kerschbaumer, home favorite who will defend the title won in Monte Pana in the last edition, and the Sydney 2000 Olympic champion, the French Miguel Martinez.
High foreign participation.
However, the parterre is destined to expand because the organizing committee has already received numerous requests from bikers from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Wearing the 2013 tricolor jersey was Anna Oberparleiter who allowed himself the luxury of beating the strongest Italian biker in business, Eve Lechner, while among men it was the domain of Elijah Silvestri. A cash prize of more than 8.000 euros is up for grabs at the HERO XCE.
Mountain biking on the circuit.
But it doesn't end there, because the next day it will be the turn of the race HEROXCOM, national competition of cross country which will take place in the Nordic Skiing center of Monte Pana, in the municipality of Santa Cristina, thanks to a circuit of 4 kilometers and 160 meters in altitude. The race on Sunday 13 July is designed on the track that is located at 1630 meters above sea level, right at the foot of the Sassolungo and Hubert Pallhuber, former mountain bike champion and currently head of the national team, collaborated in setting up the route.
After last year's dress rehearsal with the victories of the aforementioned enfant du pais Gerhard Kerschbaumer and Serena Calvetti Val Gardena, and the entire HERO organization, are ready to pack a national event that is part of the Italian Grand Prix circuit: a youth competition valid for the Südtirol Cup and another with VSS biker children are also scheduled organized by the Rodes Gherdëina sports association.
World prelude.
And next year the two events HERO XCE and HERO XCO will be re-proposed as opening events of the "world" week of the Südtirol Sellaronda HERO: both events will be part of the HERO BIKE FESTIVAL program of the UCI Marathon World Championships 2015 which will be awarded the title World Cup on Saturday 27 June. In Val Gardena there is already a world air.
