Sunshine Race in name and in fact: the Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race in Nalles (BZ) is an unparalleled festival for fat wheels and the 23rd edition bears the signature of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Simone Avondetto in a sunny Nalles.
Source: press release
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot made her rainbow jersey of World Champion (12 titles!) shine in today's XCO race, imposing herself on her opponents, who could do nothing to contain her strength. Prévot took the lead already after the launch lap and in the following five she did nothing but increase the gap with her colleagues: "what a beautiful race! This course is demanding from start to finish, the climb is very tough and the descent is very technical, so it doesn't give you the chance to recover too much energy. You have to stay focused throughout the race and that's what I did, I'm very happy" announced the Frenchwoman beaming at the finish line. Before the "normal" ones is Giada Specia who after last year's victory took home a second place in a race which saw her as the protagonist of a good duel with the German Nina Benz. “We knew that Pauline would attack straight away, so I tried to keep my pace in the two-man breakaway with Nina. In the final lap I realized that she was struggling more than me and I was able to overtake her” declares Specia. Third place therefore for a satisfied Nina Benz, twice on the podium during the Nalles weekend.

The men's race started under the splendid sun at 14.30 pm and the pace was high straight away. The composition of the leading group varied: now 5, now 7 athletes who, lap after lap, went wild along the Nalles route. One of the favourites, Mario Bair, was out after half the race and had to leave the race early after his chain broke. In the final laps the trio of Simone Avondetto, Luca Schätti (SUI) and Filippo Fontana relaunched the action and in the last lap it was the Piedmontese Avondetto who launched the decisive attack and redeemed himself after last year's 3rd place. Simone Avondatto (Wilier – Vittoria) precedes a brilliant Schätti and a solid Fontana. “Beautiful race with great pace. We immediately got busy with some good moves, towards the end I felt good and attacked. I'm very happy with the victory" adds Avondetto, who is echoed by the satisfied Schätti: "it's always a pleasure to run these races: Simone, Filippo, I have been competing together for 10 years and it's nice to find them again in these challenges. Today Simone had more and deserved the victory."

Trento
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Trento
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The "Seniors" of the Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race are tireless: Eva Lechner and Martino Fruet. “This was my last race here in Nals – said Lechner, – it is a special test for me. Racing at home and in front of my fans has a completely different flavour. I still remember my first participation and every victory here is unique and unforgettable! Today I enjoyed the race, every inch of it, I smiled and greeted this event as it deserved."
For the Under23 category, noteworthy are the victories of the German Finja Lipp, capable of making up ground on the Swiss Monique Halter with whom she had battled throughout the race and who was slowed down at the end by a puncture while she was leading, and of the French Mathis Guay always in the top positions of the group.

In the morning, however, the wild bikers of the Junior category opened the dance: the 9.00 race saw Nicolas Halter triumph. The Swiss talent with bib number 1 led a race always in the lead in the company of colleagues Hougs (DEN) and Sommer (SUI), which he then left behind during the last of the four scheduled laps, closing his race in 55' 07” with a +18” lead. 12th and 13th Tommaso Bosio and Mattia Stenico, best of the Italians, while Mattia Agostinacchio was forced to retire at the end of the first lap after a bad impact with a tree on the launching lap which caused him severe shoulder pain. Red Cross victory also in the following women's race (start at 10.45, 3 laps plus the throw) where Lara Liehner stood out. Immediately on the run with Marusa Tereza Serkezi (SLO), the Swiss got the better of her rival on the last lap, thanks to the chain jump that affected the Slovenian in the final stages of the race. With athletes like this, the future of MTB is in good hands and once again the Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race confirmed itself as a great stage for the staging of the UCI Junior Series.

And it doesn't end here, because MTB pedaling never stops in Nals: with the ASV Sunshine Racers Nals celebrating Rosi Wieser, pillar of the association and wife of the president Florian Pallweber, the invitation is renewed to fans and enthusiasts to tomorrow: another day of great mountain biking awaits the youth categories of Beginners and 1st and 2nd year students!
XCO results
Elite Male
1 Avondetto Simone Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team Xco 1:17:28; 2 Schätti Luca Biketeam Solothurn/Vc Horgen 1:17:56; 3 Fontana Filippo Cs Carabinieri Cicli Olympia 1:18:01; 4 Foidl Maximilian Ktm Factory Mtb T. 1:18:18; 5 Bertolini Gioele Ktm Protek Elettrosystem 1:18:36; 6 Egger Georg Orbea X Leattx S.1:18:44; 7 Vittone Andreas Emanuele Ktm Protek Elettrosystem 1:18:52; 8 Raggl Gregor Jb Brunex S.Factory 1:18:54; 9 Azzaro Mathis Decathlon Ford R. Team 1:19:50; 10 Orr Cameron Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team 1:20:51
Female Elite
1 Ferrand Prevot Pauline Ineos Grenadiers 1:15:47; 2 Specia Giada Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team Xco 1:17:36; 3 Benz Nina Lexware Mountainbike Team 1:17:50; 4 Caluori Ginia Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team Xco 1:18:36; 5 Gorycka Paula Strüby Sting 1:19:04; 6 Daubermann Leonie Ktm Factory Mtb Team 1:19:33; 7 Daubermann Luisa Individual 1:20:07; 8 Estermann Rebekka Grüter Hans Ag/Vc Sursee 1:21:31; 9 Zakelj Tanja Slovenia National Team 1:22:04; 10 Movrin Vita Trinx Factory Team 1:22:32
Under23 Men
1 Guay Mathis Ktm Factory Mtb Team 1:19:33; 2 Groslambert Martin Jb Brunex Superior Factory Racing 1:20:02; 3 Siffredi Matteo Scott Racing Team 1:20:38; 4 Pedersen Gustav Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team Xco 1:20:41; 5 Krüger Benjamin Lexware Mtb Team 1:21:41; 6 Bassignana Fabio Ktm Protek Elettrosystem 1:21:49; 7 Andre Gallis Alix Team Sunn Performance Cycling 1:22:20; 8 Bütikofer Gian Scott Davos Mtb Team 1:22:49; 9 Paccagnella Elian Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team Xco 1:23:28; 10 Zavan Martino Team Sogno Veneto 1:23:42
Under23 Women
1 Lipp Finja Ghost Factory Racing 1:20:14; 2 Halter Monique Thömus Akros – Youngstars 1:20:20; 3 Szczecinska Matylda Mitutoyo Azs Wratislavia Wroclaw 1:21:02; 4 Honest Olivia Julie Trinx Factory Team 1:22:23; 5 Spesna Simona Jb Brunex Superior Factory Racing 1:23:33; 6 Embacher Katrin Jb Brunex Superior Factory Racing 1:23:43; 7 Weeger Antonia Lexware Mountainbike Team 1:24:19; 8 Duraffourg Lauriane Jb Brunex Superior Factory Racing 1:25:53; 9 Challenge Giulia Bcl Factory Team 1:26:33; 10 Gallezot Electa Team Ornans Superior 1:26:47
Junior Men
1 Halter Nicolas Ka Boom-Krapf 0:55:07; 2 Hougs Nikolaj Danish National Team 0:55:25; 3 Sommer Sven Ka Boom-Krapf 0:55:40; 4 Takács Zsombor Tamás Hungarian National Team 0:56:00; 5 Van Lee Sverre Belgian National Team 0:56:12; 6 Kalanquin Nicolas France National Team 0:56:39; 7 Alder Micha Bixs Performance Race Team 0:56:45; 8 Doye Harry Australia National Team 0:56:55; 9 Franco Gallego Hugo La Nucia Bh Coloma Academy 0:56:59; 10 Martino Dorian Team Bagnol Jo.We Omega 0:57:01
Junior Female
1 Liehner Lara Thömus Akros – Youngstars 0:48:58; 2 Serkezi Marusa Tereza Slovenia National Team 0:49:34; 3 Furrer Muriel Swiss National Team 0:50:18; 4 Herzog Eva Ktm Factory Mtb Team 0:50:24; 5 Moulin Anais France National Team 0:50:46; 6 Martinoli Giada Scott Racing Team 0:50:54; 7 Städler Sirin Thömus Akros – Youngstars 0:51:50; 8 Grangl Antonia Austrian National Team 0:52:28; 9 Poppelaars Elena Talent Ned 0:52:42; 10 Gret Noemie Swiss National Team 0:53:13
