That the great mountain bike athletes love Val di Sole can be understood from their looks as they parade through the Daolasa di Commezzadura competition field, relax to the sound of the waters of the Noce stream or immerse themselves in the welcome and warmth of the Italian public.
Source: press release
When you start to get serious, however, smiles become masks of concentration and competitive energy: in cycling the great classics are those races in which winning is worth something more, and Val di Sole can show off that status with pride.
There was a different atmosphere on Friday 14 June, the first day of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series weekend, and it was evident on the track: already with the semi-finals, the Black Snake provided excitement that promises great challenges in the final round on Saturday, and the Short Track races offered high-speed duels, perhaps like never before this season on the short distance of Cross Country.
The winners were New Zealander Sam Gaze, World Champion of Cross Country Short Track, and Dutchman Puck Pieterse, who had already won in Val di Sole in Cross Country and also in Cyclocross on the snow of Vermiglio: a landslide for the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, who are having fun and celebrating even without Van der Poel, who are dreaming of and preparing for the Olympics on the road.
Both had to earn the crown right down to the last metres, in two races in which all the heavy calibers responded, from Ferrand-Prevot, second and narrowly beaten, to the inevitable Nino Schurter, fourth also in the format he least likes compared to the Olympic discipline: on Sunday there will be fun, and the Val di Sole public knows how to do it.
Among those who responded present there was also Luca Braidot, who with a courageous action launched the first real ring of his season: six weeks from Paris, coach Celestino is also smiling.
LUCA BRAIDOT TRIES, SAM GAZE SUCCEED
If the Short Track in Val di Sole has changed its face, with a much faster and more streamlined track, designed entirely in the lower part of the Daolasa race field, for the maximum enjoyment of the many spectators already present on Friday of the Cup, it has not changed however the antiphon. Even with a less significant difference in altitude, between accelerations, jerks and braking, Val di Sole has once again provided the hardest Short Track of the season, at least so far.
In the men's field, the race lived according to a constant score: full throttle and selection from behind. The variation on the theme, after four laps, was offered by Luca Braidot (Santa Cruz), and perhaps not many were expecting it. The Friulian twin did not have the happiest of starts to the season, and was expected at a signal with a view of the five rings of Paris. Braidot went ahead by taking advantage of the sharp curves of the Trentino track, relaunching and taking advantage of the uncertainty of the men behind him.
To get it back it took a lunge from Filippo Colombo followed by his teammate Nino Schurter, someone who in Val di Sole feels like he is in his own living room, with eight trophies to admire on the board of the best days. Nine laps of eleven, and it all has to be done again.
At the decisive moment, six athletes emerged from the head of the peloton, Gaze (Alpecin), Koretzky (Specialized), Schuermans (Giant), Fini (Lapierre), Colombo and Schurter (Scott SRAM). The sextet competed in the Short Track sprint, a sprint that had a clear favourite: arms raised and rainbow on the chest, Sam Gaze had time to savor Daolasa's scream. Place of honor for the leader of the specialty classification Victor Koretzky, ahead of the Belgian Jens Schuermans and the Swiss Nino Schurter.
“It turned out to be a tougher race than expected, I'm happy to have hit the mark and with the sensations I had,” commented Sam Gaze immediately. – “For our team, the weekend couldn't have started in a better way. I believe that in the last stages the focus of many was above all on the race on Sunday, the cross country, maybe saving some energy in the Short Track. Today, however, everyone's goal was to do the race, and do it to the max. Racing in Val di Sole is always fantastic, I can't wait to run the Cross Country on Sunday on the new course. The fans here are always special."
The first of the Italians, Daniele Braidot (CS Carabinieri), was eighteenth, just ahead of his twin Luca who paid for the effort made in the first part of the race in the final rush.
“I'm finally starting to feel better,” underlined Braidot, “I wanted to show that I'm not here to race in the positions I've occupied in the last few races. I'm sure Sunday will be another race. Today I attacked hoping that someone would come with me, so that at least two of us could try: when I was left alone I realized it would be hard. I knew the race would get very challenging towards the end, and when it exploded I couldn't stand it anymore, but I finally feel very, very confident for Sunday.”
MEN'S ELITE RANKING
| 1. |  | GAZE Samuel (ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK) | 19:02 |
| 2. |  | KORETZKY Victor (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING) | 19:03 +1 |
| 3. |  | SCHUERMANS Jens (GIANT FACTORY OFF-ROAD TEAM – XC) | 19:03 +1 |
| 4. |  | SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) | 19:03 +1 |
| 5. | | COLUMBUS Philip (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) | 19:04 +2 |
| 6. |  | FINI CARSTENSENSebastian (LAPIERRE MAVIC UNITY) | 19:10 +8 |
| 7. | | SARROU Jordan (TEAM BMC) | 19:11 +9 |
| 8. |  | HATHERLY Alan (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) | 19:12 +10 |
| 9. | | DE FROIDMONT Pierre (ORBEA FACTORY TEAM) | 19:14 +12 |
| 10. | | FLÜCKIGER Mathias (THOMUS MAXON) | 19:15 +13 |
GENERAL WORLD CUP
PIETERSE WINS THE FIRST ROUND AGAINST FERRAND-PREVOT
It was the most anticipated challenge, both in Short Track and Cross Country, and so far it has not disappointed expectations. Puck Pieterse and Pauline Ferrand-Prèvot have started a rustic duel on the new Short Track course in Val di Sole.
The Dutchwoman from Alpecin-Deuceninck, winner of the 2023 Cross Country race, left the INEOS-Grenadiers World Champion behind her thanks to a regal sprint that allowed her to win the shortest race in Val di Sole for the first time.
After a rocket start by the Italian Chiara Teocchi, Puck Pieterse took command of the situation on the fourth lap, despite not making a difference on the rest of the competition. The situation of balance continued until the last round, when the Dutchman and his transalpine rival managed to make the difference in the uphill section. The World Champion approached the final straight in first position, but Puck Pieterse had an easy time overtaking her a few meters from the finish line.
The American Savilia Blunk (Decathlon) ranked third ahead of the South African Candice Lill and the Swiss Alessandra Keller (Thomus Maxon), still leader of the specialty ranking. The first of the Italians was eighth, Chiara Teocchi (Orbea Factory), fourteenth Greta Seiwald (Decathlon), sixteenth Giada Specia (Wilier-Vittoria).
“I had a tactical plan: to race head-on and I succeeded in my aim,” said Puck Pieterse. – “I'm happy for the success achieved, it wasn't easy. The finale with Pauline was very competitive but I think I was good at interpreting the final sprint in the best possible way."
The Short Tracks of the U23 category rewarded two of the most promising young people in international mountain biking, Bjorn Riley and Kira Böhm.
The American from Team Trek Future Racing managed to shake off all his rivals, starting from his compatriot Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing), who finished in second place ahead of the Ukrainian Oleksandr Hudyma (KMC Riley).
The German Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing), a true dominator of the specialty, instead left the Canadian duo behind in the sprint, with Isabella Holmgren in second position ahead of Emilly Johnson (Trek Future Racing). Little glory for the blue colours: Elian Paccagnella (Wilier Vittoria) finished in fifteenth position, Valentina Corvi (Santa Cruz) in eleventh.
FEMALE ELITE RANKING
| 1. |  | * PIETERSE Puck (ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK) | 19:24 |
| 2. | | FERRAND PREVOT Pauline (INEOS GRENADIERS) | 19:25 +1 |
| 3. |  | BLUNK Savilia (DECATHLON FORD RACING TEAM) | 19:29 +5 |
| 4. | | LILL Candice | 19:30 +6 |
| 5. | | KELLER Alexandra (THOMUS MAXON) | 19:37 +13 |
| 6. | | FREI Sina (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING) | 19:38 +14 |
| 7. |  | HENDERSON Rebecca (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER RACING TEAM) | 19:38 +14 |
| 8. |  | TEOCCHI Clare (ORBEA FACTORY TEAM) | 19:38 +14 |
| 9. | | INDERGAND Linda (LIV FACTORY RACING) | 19:40 +16 |
| 10. |  | * MITTERWALLNER Mona (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) | 19:40 +16 |
GENERAL WORLD CUP
