Focus on the stage venues – On Sunday September 27th and Monday 28th, the main town of Alto Reno Terme municipality will host Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race’s opening time trial and the start of the second stage
It is time to discover the four municipalities that will host the second edition of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race, scheduled from September 27th to October 3rd. Porretta Terme (Alto Reno Terme’s main town) and the Province of Bologna will set the stage start, confirming their commitment after welcoming the fourth stage of the 2019 edition.
On Sunday, September 27th, Piazza della Libertà in Porretta Terme will be closed to traffic and well prepped to welcome the Appenninica family before their first effort. A 43-km individual time trial will get things started, with start and finish in the heart of the thermal town in the province of Bologna. After the first steady 5 km climb on secondary roads, with some short steeper sections, the bikers will cross the ancient village of Castelluccio and Manservisi Castle’s park where a beautiful forest road starts and climbs up to 1300 mt.
A fast double track will lead to the “Pian dello Stellaio” prairie where the course turns and points again to Mount Cavallo with a beautiful single track opening a stunning view over the Apennines. A technical section precedes the end of this trail before the following climb, with some portage sections, to the summit of Mount Piella and its panoramic point, with a cross overlooking the Reno valley. The final downhill in the forest follows an ancient path dotted by small hamlets. Bikers will then face one more technical section before the stairway that marks the finish in the center of Porretta Terme.
The village close to Bologna will also launch the 65-km second stage of Appenninica towards Fanano (Modena), on Monday, September 28th. The first part is demanding with the climb starting from the Rifugio della Segavecchia and leading to Sboccata dei Bagnadori all inside the forest. The bikers will then ride to the Apennine ridge and the Corno delle Scale mountain before entering the province of Modena to face a techincal and tricky final.
“Appenninica is a premium opportunity to team up with all the Emilia-Romagna municipalities to promote the Northern Apennines and the Alta Via dei Parchi – the Mayor of Alto Reno Terme Giuseppe Nanni explained -. Confirming our commitment in the race shows our confidence in the opportunity of diversifying the tourist offer, leveraging on sports activities related to green and eco-sustainable tourism. Appenninica has an international flair and contributes to create a new image of Alto Reno Terme, linked to thermal baths, wellness, nature, sports and leisure, with an excellent gastronomic offer”.
PORRETTA TERME: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Alto Reno Terme is a town in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, renowned for its thermal waters, the green of its forests and picturesque villages set in its mountains. Not by chance, it has been awarded by the EDEN project as a destination of excellence in sustainable tourism.
The main town, Porretta Terme, is home to important musical events such as the Porretta Soul Festival and many others (Prog Festival, Jazz Festival, international courses of classical music etc.). The local gastronomy is renowned, thanks to its typical products (in particular chestnuts, such as the “neccio”, “tortino di Porretta” and chestnut beer) and positively contaminated by the culinary traditions of Emilia and Tuscany.
The rich and fascinating trails network allows to carry out mountain biking and trekking activities in an uncontaminated environment. Not to be missed, in particular, are the Suviana and Brasimone Lakes Park and the Rifugio Montecavallo, nestled in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.
