MARCIALONGA CYCLING CRAFT NEXT MAY

Italy’s road cycling event scheduled on Sunday 26 May

Norway’s Joergen Aukland andItaly’s Bruno Debertolis already on the saddle

Two renewed routes of 66k and 116k in Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa

Eyes on the Combined event ‘Punto 3 Craft’

 

 

Both raced at their best at the last Marcialonga ski-marathon inItaly’s Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa, last Sunday. Both double poled hard all the way from Moena (start) to the last part of the course, right before the terrific 2k-long Cascata climb, and both were among the major candidates to the victory. Joergen Aukland in particular, as he had won the long-distance XC-skiing race three times already, including the 2012 one. The strong Norwegian entered the steep hill for first and eventually crossed the finish line first, ahead of Stanislav Rezac (CZE), Anders Aukland (NOR), and Bruno Debertolis of Italy, who came in 16th (best Italian racer of the day). ‘I'll get my own back in May’, said Debertolis during the post race press conference, grinning at the Scandinavian winner, who jokingly smiled back ‘that’s for sure, I had so much fun last year. I won’t miss Marcialonga Cycling Craft’.

Next 26 May, the road cycling event along the two alpine valleys will be celebrating its 7th birthday, and these two top athletes will be once again battling it up, as they did last year when the Italian managed to leave Joergen Aukland back in the standings.

This year there will be two renewed courses to choose from: a medium (66k) and long (116k), both starting and closing in Predazzo town centre. 

From Predazzo, the riders will head down through Val di Fiemme, reaching thevillageofMolinaandLakeofStramentizzo, and continue up to Capriana and Anterivo little villages. A 10k downhill will follow and once San Lugano Pass is reached, next challenge will be the 7k climb (over 17% gradient) toPampeagoPass, exactly where the Giro stopped last year in one of the last legs. An epic climb surrounded by majestic Dolomites that will certainly mark the long race, as those competing in the medium route, will turn back to Tesero and Predazzo, before this climb. After the pass, there is a 12k steep downhill, riders will enter the South-Tyrol area and climb the Costalunga Pass (up to1752 metersa.s.l.), before descending back to Val di Fassa and Predazzo.

In the past years, long-distance Marcialonga Cycling Craft race was won by Italian top riders Fabrizio Lucciola, Claudia Gentili, Monica Bandini and Andrea Patuelli, among the many.

The Marcialonga Cycling Craft race is part of the Giordana, Nobili and Supernobili national circuits, and is also included in the Combined event ‘Punto 3 Craft’, together with the recent Marcialonga ski-marathon and the Marcialonga Running race, scheduled on 1st September.

Bruno Debertolis won last year’s combined event for the third time in a row, and this year he certainly aims at the fourth. ‘It’d be fantastic’, claimed the Italian at the conference, ‘and the time I got in cross country is a good beginning for me’. However, Joergen Aukland lost last year’s challenge against the Italian opponent and ‘I’ll do my best to beat him this time’, answered back the Norwegian with a smile.

Entries to the 7th Marcialonga Cycling Craft are open on www.marcialonga.it, and cost € 28. Around 200 registrations have already been collected. On the way to last year’s 2000 record figure.

Info: www.marcialonga.it