Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina was the venue for the 2025 gravity season kicking off with the first stage of the 2025 Toscano Enduro Series, a grand return to a fabulous location in the heart of Tuscany that rewarded the 300-plus starters with a wonderful spring day.
Source: press release
And it was the enfant du pays Tommaso Calonaci (Otto Racing bike) who dominated the men's results by winning all 4 special stages by a wide margin, with Nicola “Fogaccino” Grotti (Abetone Gravity Team) in second place, a great comeback, who fought throughout the race with the very strong Czech athlete Vojtech Blaha (North Bike club), who however had to settle for third place on the podium.
In fourth place overall was the winner of the junior category Niccoló Lanzoni of I-Mtb.
In the women's overall ranking, total domination by the Abetone Gravity Team, who placed Nadine Ellecosta in first place and Clarissa Carzolio in second with the Czech Simona Kuchynkova in third.
In the novice category, victory went to Lorenzo Pani (Mad Wheels) ahead of Cosimo Bertelli (Tsi free bike) and Marta Fiocchi who not only won by a landslide among the females, but also beat most of the males!
In the students' category, Jean Leon Mondani Andreini Lawley (I-mtb) won ahead of Riccardo Salvatori (Oneleven Mtb) and Alessandro Borgialli (Mad Wheels).
Among the amateurs victories for Lorenzo Ciabatti among the Elite Masters, Federico Proverbio (Young Riders) in the M1, Federico Tamberi among the M2, Matteo Rimondo among the M3, Iuri Bettini among the M4, the tireless Bruno Zanchi (Fristads Merida) among the M5, Simone Giovannozzi among the M6 and Michele Cortopassi at his debut among the M7. Among female amateurs Sofia Baroncelli won ahead of Cristiana Del Bene and Giulia Maccioni.
Great battle also among the over 100 electrics dominated by Paolo Levra of Fristads Merida ahead of Paolo Bertozzi of Montignoso Ciclismo and Davide Viti of the Easy ride enduro team.
A big round of applause goes to the entire organization of Castelnuovo led by Talo and Pardo who have coordinated the entire community of Alta Val di Cecina starting from the municipal administration. A motivated group that has been able to build a beautiful and technically very complete trail area with the classic tests of Stregaia, Aia dei Diavoli, Infernacci and Bruciano, just to remind us that we are in one of the most important geothermal centers in Italy with steam coming out of any hole in the ground.
And so once again the Alta Val di Cecina race was the prelude to an increasingly exciting championship full of novelties with 6 races spread throughout Tuscany, from the extreme south of Argentario to the extreme north of Abetone, passing through Arezzo, Calci and Campiglia Marittima. And so after this first test everything is already in motion in Arezzo for the next race that will take place on April 6th. The special stages will be new but always in the shadow of the Poti alp under the hat of the legendary “il cinghiale”!
Great anticipation therefore for the second race that will see all the protagonists busy testing the vehicles and updating the training to confirm the victories or to close the gaps.
MEN'S RANKING
| 1 | CALONACI THOMAS ita, OTTO RACING BIKE | 0:13:31.02 |
| 2 | GROTTI NICOLA ita, ABETONE GRAVITY TEAM ASD | 0:14:14.29 +43.27 |
| 3 | BLAHA VOJTECH Czech, NORTH BIKE CLUB | 0:14:16.26 +45.24 |
| 4 | NICCOLO' LANZONI ita, ASD I-MTB | 0:14:27.82 +56.80 |
| 5 | LUCA BOSCHERI ita, ASD MAD WHEELS | 0:14:28.48 +57.46 |
| 6 | NOFERINI LORENZO ita, CC APPENNINICO 1907 | 0:14:28.88 +57.86 |
| 7 | SLIPPERS LORENZO ita, CC APPENNINICO 1907 | 0:14:40.44 + 1: 09.41 |
| 8 | ANTONIO FAT ita, OTTO RACING BIKE | 0:14:42.27 + 1: 11.25 |
| 9 | CIOLLI FILIPPO ita, CC APPENNINICO 1907 | 0:14:46.89 + 1: 15.86 |
| 10 | FEDERIC PROVERB ita, YOUNG RIDERZ PISTOIA | 0:14:51.04 + 1: 20.02 |
FEMALE RANKING
| 1 | ELLECOSTA NADINE ita, ABETONE GRAVITY TEAM ASD | 0:15:49.96 |
| 2 | CARZOLIO CLARISSA ita, ABETONE GRAVITY TEAM ASD | 0:16:17.90 +27.94 |
| 3 | SIMONA KUCHYŇKOVÁ svk, CUBE ACTION TEAM | 0:16:18.76 +28.80 |
| 4 | GEORGIA BOWS ita, ABETONE GRAVITY TEAM ASD | 0:17:14.55 + 1: 24.59 |
| 5 | EMILIE POLO ita, TEAM FRISTADS MERIDA IXS | 0:17:20.33 + 1: 30.37 |
In the meantime, the TES steering committee has worked hard to give even more content to the circuit races with increasingly important prizes thanks to its sponsors Ufo Plast, which returns to be present in the bike world with its clothing and protections that we all remember at the highest level and Vittoria Tyres which with its high-performance tires helps those who want to succeed in climbing the podium. Namedsportsuperfood also makes its entrance, providing all the products suitable for the athletes' nutritional supplementation and Formula returns with all its fantastic bike components starting with the legendary brakes, and then Chamaleon Skin with its protective films for frames, DRC high performance parts, Dottor Bike, Switch components, Esseci stampa, FT pro, Martelli Suspension, Resolvbikecleaning system and the TopTa craft brewery which as always will flood all participants with beer with its dedicated stand right in front of the start.
