CUNICO WINS MARCIALONGA ROAD RACE

Italy’s Roberto Cunico shows amazing skills amongst the Dolomites

Astrid Schartmueller wins Marcialonga granfondo women’s race

Pontalto and Gazzini take top spot in the 80k medium course

2200 cyclists enjoyed the Italian event

 

 

Roberto Cunico impresses amongst the Italian Dolomites and grabs his first ever victory at the Marcialonga Cycling Craft road race. The Granfondo event took place last Sunday in Trentino region and the rider from Vicenza kept everybody back on the 135k-long course across the three Lavazé, San Pellegrino and Valles alpine passes. On the women’s side, German Astrid Schartmueller took the lead at the very beginning and nobody managed to close the gap afterwards. Andrea Pontalto and Serena Gazzini of Italy took top spot in the 80k medium course.   

Early in the morning, around 2200 cyclists from 16 nations gathered in Predazzo (Val di Fiemme) ready to enjoy the two 135k and 80k routes. After warming up a little throughout the villages of Ziano di Fiemme, Cavalese and San Lugano, some of the favourites of the day such as Dainius Kairelis, Andrea Pontalto, Jarno Varesco, Luigi Salimbeni, Emanuele Poeta, Matteo Bordignon, Matteo Podestà, Domenico Romano and Roberto Cunico moved to the head, and after the first uphill of Monte San Pietro they all attacked the steep 9k-long uphill to Lavazé Pass (1.805 meters a.s.l.). Salimbeni crossed the KOM sprint line for first followed by Pontalto, and it was a head to head battle between the two until the end of the 80k route back to Predazzo town centre, eventually won by the latter. Those who picked the long course had to face two further mountain passes, namely San Pellegrino and Valles, and once Moena was passed Roberto Cunico made his first impressive move. At the top of San Pellegrino pass Cunico clocked 20 seconds advantage on a handful of sportsmen, namely Podestà, Varesco, Romano, Poeta and Riccardo Corbetta. On the following downhill and on the last climb towards the Valles pass straight afterwards - the highest point reached by the 2014 Marcialonga Cycling Craft at 2.038 meters a.s.l – Domenico Romano fought back and took the lead. However, rain started falling heavily and Cunico shows he could cycle in the pouring rain better than anyone else. 

At the end of the 24k-long last downhill to Predazzo town centre, Roberto Cunico crossed the finish line all alone, followed by Podestà and Romano a minute later.

The 8^th Marcialonga Cycling Craft road race was the sixth event of the National Alé Challenge series and forms the Combined Event ‘Punto3 Craft’ along with last January’s Marcialonga XC ski-marathon and the Marcialonga Running event scheduled on September 7^th.

Download TV footage:

www.broadcaster.it

 

 Standings:

 

Long route 135 km – male

1 Cunico Roberto Asd Team Beraldo Green Paper 04:08:51; 2 Podesta' Matteo Team Mg.K Vis Gobbi Lgl Miche 04:09:51; 3 Romano Domenico A.S.D. 71 Sport Team 04:10:09; 4 Varesco Jarno U.S. Litegosa 04:10:10; 5 Corbetta Riccardo Team Carimate A.S.D. 04:11:55; 6 Bordignon Matteo A.S.D. 71 Sport Team 04:11:55; 7 Poeta Emanuele Ponte Cycling Team 04:11:56; 8 Kairelis Dainius Team Mg.K Vis Gobbi Lgl Miche 04:15:11; 9 Morrone Marco Cannondale Gobbi Fsa 04:16:35; 10 Gerarduzzi Mauro Cannondale Gobbi Fsa 04:16:36

 

Long route 135 km – female

1 Schartmueller Astrid Team Mg.K Vis Gobbi Lgl Miche 04:38:27; 2 Avanzi Claudia A.S.D. G.S. Pedale Bagnolese 05:01:33; 3 Ciacci Lorna Sportler Bike Team 05:05:42; 4 Lambrugo Cristina Team Mg.K Vis Gobbi Lgl Miche 05:06:14; 5 Dalpiaz Giovanna S.C. Cicli Fontana Asd 05:15:18; 6 Zambotti Barbara G.S. Alpilatte - Br. Pneumatici Zane' 05:19:08; 7 Tosadori Orietta A.S.D. 71 Sport Team 05:30:05; 8 Cinel Tania Asd Cycling Team Rosa Chiminello 05:31:06; 9 Mazzel Arianna G.C. Pedale Levicense 05:32:55; 10 Gandini Gloria Max Team 05:45:42

 

Medium route 80 km – male

1 Pontalto Andrea Asd New Line Rovolon-Sossano 02:19:16; 2 Salimbeni Luigi Team Mg.K Vis Gobbi Lgl Miche 02:19:19; 3 Orsucci Simone Cicloteam San Ginese 02:20:54; 4 Spiazzi Davide Asd Total Speed 02:20:54; 5 Giovannini Matteo Bren Team Trento 02:20:54; 6 Gschnitzer Thomas Pol. A.V.I. Bike Team Vipiteno A.S.D. 02:20:54; 7 Carretta Andrea G.S. Bevarino Thiene 02:20:54; 8 Basile Raffaele Cicloteam San Ginese 02:20:55; 9 Binotto Alessandro G.S. Bevarino Thiene 02:22:11; 10 Pretini Daniele Cicloteam San Ginese 02:22:11

 

Medium route 80 km – female

1 Gazzini Serena Carraro Team Trentino 02:31:07; 2 Koschier Christiane Asd Fimap Mr Gud 02:36:09; 3 Felici Milena Velo Roma Asd 02:36:09; 4 Bee Gloria Pedale Feltrino Tbh 02:38:36; 5 Zamboni Elisa A.S.D. T.V.B. - Unterthurner 02:38:59; 6 Bertoncini Claudia Velo Club Cicli Maggi 1906 Asd 02:40:51; 7 Wegmann Claudia A.S.V. Jenesien Soltnflitzer 02:40:54; 8 Bonfanti Monica Max Team 02:40:57; 9 Fleischmann Elisa G.S. Eurovelo Cicli 02:47:09; 10 De Biasio Egizia Bettini Bike Team 02:48:41