The 120th medal of the season for Italian cycling was won by Sara Casasola, third in the European championship in Pont-Château. The 24 year old Friulian (at the end of November) finished 1'56" behind the winner, the Dutch Fem Van Empel, who also surpassed her compatriot Alvarado by more than 1', confirming the title she won last year.
Source: FCI press release
In the elite men's race, which closed the day, the Belgian Michael Vanthourenhout once again wears the Union jersey (it is the third, the second in a row), beating the British Cameron Mason and the Dutch Lars Van by a handful of seconds Der Haart. Gioele Bertolini, first of the Italians, came 16th at 4'.
With a program revolutionized due to bad weather, the continental cyclocross titles were all awarded today. For the Azzurri the event ends with some good performances and the bronze medal for the girl from San Daniele del Friuli who this season has already won the international competition in Brugherio at the end of October. “We bring home another medal – comments Daniele Pontoni – and this is certainly the positive aspect of a trip in which I saw excellent things which, however, unfortunately, did not bring the desired results. I still haven't digested Friday's relay, in which the boys ran really well and a prestigious victory seemed within reach.
Today, apart from the excellent performance at Casasola, with Viezzi we fought until the end for a place on the podium. Even the tenth place of Agostinacchio, a first-year junior, tells us that there are promising young people with whom we can continue to work for the overall growth of the movement. I want to thank, once again, all the staff and the performance team with whom we have been working for some time and who allow us to grow and get closer to the best on every occasion."
In addition to Casasola's bronze, Stefano Vezzi's fourth place (juniors) in the race won by the Frenchman Aubin Sparfel ahead of the Hungarian Zsombor Takacs and the other Frenchman Jules Simon deserves to be remembered. Mattia Agostinacchio also did well, finishing in tenth place. Among the junior women, success went to the French Celia Gery, ahead of the British Cat Ferguson and the Slovakian Viktoria Chladonova. Before the Italian Giada Martinoli, 14th at 3'15.
Among the U23s, success went to the predestined and predicted Zoe Backstedt, with Luxembourg's Marie Schreiber 34" behind and Czech Kristyna Zemanova third. Giada Borghesi was tenth at 4'30. The Belgian Jente Michels is the new European Under 23 champion, beating his compatriot Emiel Verstrynge (at 25”) and the French Remi Lelandais. Fifteenth place for Filippo Agostinacchio (3').
