There are places that need no explanation.
Pogno is one of those.
It doesn't strike you at first glance. It doesn't have the sea, it doesn't have great mountains, it doesn't live on postcards. It's a place you have to understand, rather than look at. A place that has been built over time, between warehouses, work, and passion.
And maybe that's exactly why it became the home of enduro.
Superenduro history was made here. A different way of experiencing mountain biking was built here. And here, today, something has truly started over.
As a 365 Mountain bikes, we also feel this restart is a little bit ours.
A year ago, in SAuze d'OulxWhen we were talking about the All Enduro circuit, we wrote about how important it was not to waste what had been built. We had imagined—perhaps even hoped—a meeting point between Monchiero and Guala.
Not to go back.
But to move forward with more strength.
Because behind this movement there are not just competitions.
There are years of work, MTB schools, kids who have started pedaling, falling, getting up again. Kids who have chosen an intense discipline like a cross country, but long and exhausting like a marathon.
And so yes, finding myself here, in Pogno – a place to which I personally owe a lot, even from a professional point of view – had a different flavour.
Deeper.
More true.
Perhaps, in our own small way, we also feel the sense of having contributed to this moment.
Yet Pogno remains Pogno.
No large accommodations, no cover-worthy scenery. The lake remains there, in the background, almost out of focus. It's not a place that imposes itself, it's a place that builds itself. Year after year.
And what we see today is the result of a long, stubborn, never-ending passion.
It wasn't just a matter of organizing some event here.
A mountain bike culture has been built here. A true school, which over the years has trained riders, developed skills, and given continuity to a movement that elsewhere often flares and fades.
Pogno has become a point of reference for national enduro – and beyond – precisely for this reason.
Because behind it there is a group that believed in MTB when it wasn't so "easy" to believe in it yet.
Who worked, experimented, made mistakes and tried again.
And then there are the people.
As a Patrizio Crolla, today a point of reference for race communications and presence also in World Cup contexts.
A detail? No. It's a sign of a level of expertise that goes far beyond the local context.
And it is here that we truly understand the value of these "little owls" from Upper Piedmont.
Because in the so-called land of taps, away from the big spotlight, they have built something that matters.
Something that works.
Something that, even today, continues to set an example.
And that's also why, when you return to Pogno, you always have the feeling that here... something is really happening.
And may it, once again, be the right place to start again. 💥
Numbers that matter
And the numbers, this time, speak clearly.
290 riders in the muscle category, 78 in the electric.
But most of all: 91 Beginners and Students, 44 Juniors.
The future is already here. And it shows.
Real race
Then there was the race.
Quasi 50 km, 1500 meters in altitude, summer heat and trail in perfect conditions.
A race that gave nothing away.
A real race.
The ones where going fast isn't enough. You have to resist.
The ground, thanks to the rains of the previous days, was simply perfect.
And the organization – that of the “Gufi” – has proven to be a certainty: precise, solid, reliable.
A movement that starts breathing again
Walking around the paddock, there was something familiar… and new at the same time.
Like an engine that's been left idle for too long.
That lights up again.
At first it turns slowly, uncertainly. Then it picks up pace.
The enduro is there today. At that precise moment.
He's not at his best yet, but he's alive.
And most importantly, it has direction again.
In recent years, many have kept the flame burning. But a common thread was missing, a true connection between the grassroots and the top.
Now that thread is being rebuilt.
As Enrico Guala also pointed out, there is no shortage of ideas.
It takes time. It takes moderation. It takes vision.
🏁 The results
🥇 Men's Open
- Thomas Calonacci (winner of all PS)
- David Cappello
- Philip Amerio
🥇 Women's Open
- Clarissa Carzolio
- Silvia I think
- Giulia Mitidieri
🥇 Juniors
- Francesco Olivetti Masiero – also author of the second fastest time overall
- Vittorio Riva
- Valerio Petiti
⚡ Men's E-bike
- Alessandro Levra
- Thomas Bianchetti
- Alex Lupato
⚡ Women's E-bike
- Federica Amelio
- Matilde Andrea Melani
- Giulia Sartoris
Also worth noting:
- Anna Tommasi (5th Women's Open)
- Alice Maicchi (6th Women's Open)
👉 It should be emphasized that the Canellese Pedal he managed to build a young group and pleasantly noisy during the awards ceremony, a sign of enthusiasm and team spirit.
⚙️ Between innovation and some points to reflect on
In the midst of this restart, something has already moved in terms of format.
The details hadn't been disclosed, but it was understood there would be more to come. And in Pogno, the first indications have arrived.
The most obvious one concerns time management: no CO and a longer ascent time.
A choice that changes the pace of the race.
And also the way to interpret it.
Those who arrive in the most difficulty tend to set off again immediately, trying to gain time and manage subsequent climbs with greater margin.
Those who still have energy can allow themselves to stop, breathe, chat with the staff, check their bike, and then set off again more calmly.
It's a new freedom.
It doesn't completely change the race, but it makes it more personal, more adaptable to the level and sensations of the individual rider.
And this is precisely why it is an interesting innovation, which deserves to be observed and developed.
The situation is different for Saturday.
Il complete lap of the PS cycled, on a track of this type, is something that gives rise to discussion.
Because the race is already tough.
And adding such a busy day risks shifting the balance.
There are those who decide to give up the race entirely.
Those who choose to do only some PS.
And those who complete the whole tour… but arrive on Sunday with their legs already marked.
In the World Cup it's like that.
But the World Cup is for the few.
Here we are at that delicate point where a rider decides to make the leap: from regional competitions to something more structured.
And for this very reason, finding the right balance will be fundamental.
This is not a criticism, but a point of attention.
One of those who really make a difference when building the future of a movement.
And Pogno, once again, is the right place to start again. 💥
