And as per federal regulations, a week before the start of the event, ASD Elba Ovest, organizer of the 2024 Italian Enduro Championship in Marina di Campo, reveals in detail what the route of the Elban race will be, which at this point we can truly say with good reason, will be beautiful and really tough with a total length of 40 km, 4 special stages and 1600 meters of altitude difference. And here are the special stages in detail.
Special Stage No. 1 – SASSI RITTI – 3 km x 367 m above sea level.
One of the “CLASSIC” PS of Elba, a special stage that starts from the woods for the occasion of the 2024 Italian championship with the first unpublished part. It starts with soft ground and some roots, then leaving the woods, you enter the real path of the “Sassi Ritti” in true Elba style: mixed ground of sand and granite rocks, initially very fast, and then more broken but always fast, to then reach the final hairpin bends and the last pedal strokes of the end of the PS that immediately from the first special stage will make it clear that in Elba you don't joke around!
Special Test N° 2 – BLACK FOREST – 2 km 310m above sea level
After having climbed Mount Perone once again, but this time starting from the end of PS1 and therefore from the San Piero in Campo sports field, we set off again from the so-called “Piazzale delle Zucche” for PS2 “BLack Forest”.
It starts with a fast first part with some jumps, then you enter the real “Black Forest” trail where after a short climb, the trail becomes steeper and more challenging where technique and trajectories will really make the difference. Then you enter a false flat where you have to relaunch decisively but being careful of some rocks, to then throw yourself with a splendid view of the gulf of Marina di Campo in the final part in the usual Elban style, where speed, granite and broken ground are the masters!
Special Stage No. 3 – DIVE INTO THE SEA – 5 km 586 m above sea level.
After PS2 we always start again towards Monte Perone, once again from San Piero in Campo. Instead of stopping at Piazzale delle Zucche we continue to climb towards PS3 which will start from “Masso alla Quata”.
Once we reach the start of PS3, 4km and almost 600m of negative altitude difference await us, between granite, speed, technical passages and sea view... all in one breath! Errors are not allowed especially in the first part of the special test where we will travel the path called "Cielo Alto" used in 2022 in one of the stages of the Toscano Enduro Series, then we travel a stretch of road with a relaunch just to rest our arms a bit (but not our legs!), we turn right to travel the central part of PS1 (it is always the fast, broken and stony one!), once we reach the crossroads for "Moncione" we turn right again on a stretch of false flat that takes us to the Mulino di Moncione, we go back down with an increasingly challenging path where both driving and pedaling technique will pay off, until we reach above the "Capanna di Marco", where from an ancient granite quarry it seems like we are "jumping" straight into the sea. From there, the trail is still long and bumpy, it takes us to the final part of “Bolle Caldaie” where the arrival point of the PS is located at the end of the path.
Special Stage No. 4 – COLONNA PISANA – 0,5 km 50 mt dsl
Just a few hundred meters from the end of PS3 we reach the “concentrated” PS4 Colonna Pisana. A special test of only about 500 meters, in which after all the efforts made it will be essential to remain focused, as in the past it played a fundamental role in the battle between the fastest athletes in the fight for victory!
At this point it is worth remembering that according to the rules, access to the PS will be prohibited until the Friday before the race, with the day dedicated to the track walk, to then finally allow you to enjoy the properly marked course starting from Saturday morning, with PS 1 and 2 that can be tested in the morning, while for PS 3 and 4 the competitors will have to wait until the afternoon.
COMPLETE RACE LAP – ELEVATION PROFILE
