The MTB stage race is working for the 2020 edition (19-25 July) and facing the COVID-19 health emergency: in case of postponement of renouncement for Coronavirus-related reasons, the registration will be kept valid for the next edition
Italian and International media are invaded by the COVID-19 emergency, many sport events have been cancelled and calendars turned upside down. However, in this uncertain juncture, Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race wants to be close to its participants and to all those wishing to join the race, scheduled from the next July 19th to 25th. The event’s policy has been amended in order to allow everybody to make their choices in full serenity.
The organizers keep working for the event from their home places, respecting the decree issued by the Italian Government, with the goal of being ready on the starting line in Porretta Terme (Bologna). “As difficult as it is to talk about MTB on days like these, when other issues are coming to the fore, the experience of endurance races as Appenninica is the perfect metaphor for situations like this, in which it is necessary to make renunciations and sacrifices in order to reach the goal”Milena Bettocchi of organizing company Asd Happy Trail MTB explained.
“We are confident that Appenninica will be able to take place as planned, in the special atmosphere that characterized the first edition. We believe it is important to think positive, especially in moments like this. At the same time, we are keeping a very close eye on the COVID-19 emergency and developments, and we feel the responsibility of going the extra mile to reassure our registered participants and those who are considering to join”.
Making choices in this moment can be tough, and that’s why Appenninica has decided to make some important changes in both its registration and cancellation policies.
The organizers have decided to eliminate the “Late Registration” price bracket altogether and, therefore, apply the “Regular Registration” fee from now until registration closes.
The cancellation policy is instead modified accordingly to the following:
Should Appenninica be canceled by the organizer due to the COVID-19 emergency, the participation fee isn’t lost, and it will become a credit for the participant to take part in a later 2020 race or, should postponing not be possible, towards the 2021 edition.
Should an athlete withdraw from the 2020 edition – July or the postponed date – due to reasons linked to the COVID-19 health emergency and backed by objective and proven reasons, in such event the participation fee will be rolled over to the 2021 event.
All riders registered have the option to cancel according to the cancellation policy at the time, or to roll over their registration as a full credit towards the new 2020 date or 2021 event.
In the uncertainty caused by the virus, Appenninica wants to give a certainty to its athletes: no one will lose their participation fee because of COVID-19.
105 km and over 4,200 meters of elevation gain: plenty of fun and suffering in the fourth stage of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race, from Fanano to Castelnovo ne’ Monti. It will be one of the hardest stages of the whole 2020 MTB season
There will be plenty to discover and plenty to conquer through the 458 km of the 2020 edition of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race, facing continuous gradients up and down, scattered all over the seven stages from July 19th to 25th, dealing with dirt roads, stones and single trails.
However, there is a date circled in red by all the Appenninica’s braves: Wednesday, July 22nd, the day of stage 4, the Queen stage of this edition. 105 km from Fanano (Modena) to Castelnovo ne’ Monti (Reggio Emilia) with over 4200 meters of elevation gain. The elevation gain to kilometres ratio makes the Queen Stage of Appenninica one of the hardest of all the stage races in 2020: a reason of extra pride for those who will be able to complete it.
“The interpretation of this stage won’t be easy – Course Director Luca Bortolotti explained -. After the start in Fanano, we will head towards the Mount Cimone, a climb mainly in tarmac of almost 18 kilometers with fairly constant gradient. The last part will be on a forest road and we will move on a ridge that will precede the first long descent towards Pievepelago, all on trail, and a final part on an old mule track, with many curves”.
“It is important to recover in this section as in Pievepelago a new ascent begins along the Rio Perticara that leads to the Passo del Saltello: another long climb on a trail. In fact, from kilometer 30 to 95 we will have 90% of dirt roads, which will test the abilities of the athletes with many pitfalls and no space to breathe”.
“After descending to Civago, riders will find one of the most beautiful and fascinating trails of the whole week. From Civago, they will climb up through a long cross, very technical and full of “ups and downs”, sure to be felt in the riders’ legs aster 70 km. The athletes will then arrive in Rescadore with a fast section, with many changes of pace on a surface full of stones and obstacles. From there another long ascent runs alongside the refuge Mount Orsaro and ends on the Passo della Cisa, where the riders will be able to breathe for a few moments. A trail leads up to the medieval village of Sologno and then to the bridge that crosses the Secchia river, from where it is possible to admire the Bismantova Rock. They will then return on asphalt on the provincial road until the finish of Castelnovo ne’ Monti”.
The stage winner will take six to six and half hours to finish the race, “but even the most trained riders will have to suffer”, Bortolotti said. But the true nature of Appenninica is to win the challenge with yourself, regardless the GC position. That’s why Appenninica opted to abolish the time limit for the two stages longer than 100 km. “We want everyone to come to Appenninica with the desire of testing themselves and give them the opportunity to succeed. We are their main supporters” Bortolotti concluded.
On the day, the bikers will race in the midst of the Parmigiano Reggiano production area, and a breathtaking scenary will frame their efforts on the MTB. It is not by coincidence that the Tuscan and Emilian Apennines, where the majority of the Appenninica action unfolds, were chosen by the UNESCO as MAB Reserve (Man and the Biosphere) to promote a balanced relationship between man and the environment through the protection of biodiversity and good practices of sustainable development.
The Italian veteran will be ambassador of title sponsor Parmigiano Reggiano in the second edition of the MTB stage race. “Four years ago I beat cancer, now I am living cycling from a different perspective: Appenninica is a new and exciting experience”
This is why “IronTibi” decided to be at the start of the second edition of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race, the MTB stage race bringing Mountain Bike racing in the wildest and unexplored areas of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines, from July 19th to 25th, 2020. And Andrea will do it with the ambition of winning it.
The crave for a new challenge is the greatest boost for an athlete towards greatness. For certain athletes, though, this desire simply reaches higher standards. That’s the case of Andrea Tiberi: the 34-year-old, a long-time top rider of the Italian Cross-Country MTB movement, Italian national champion in 2015, has recently announced that 2020 will be his final season as a professional. For someone like him, who battled and defeated tough opponents throughout his career, in the race and beyond, this only means another can’t-miss opportunity to go for unprecedented challenges, always at full throttle.
“Four year ago,” recalls Tiberi, a member of Team SantaCruz-FSA, “I was preparing for my first Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, when I was diagnosed a thyroid cancer. I underwent surgery, and from there, I started a race against the time to be ready for Brazil: on August 21st I took the start and finished 19th. Nevertheless, the way this experience changed me – both as a rider and as a man – was the real achievement.”
Four years later, Tiberi’s sights are set on new goals, not necessarily marked with a banner. Last year in September, his desire to do an MTB trip, the Tour of Mount Blanc and return, became the “Dreamlines” project. Five-hundreds kilometers and 20.000 mt elevation gain, for the pure sake of exploring, discovering and pedaling.
The same kind of drive now leads him to take on the Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race challenge, one of the toughest stage races in Europe with over 450 km and 16.000 mt elevation gainover seven stages. Andrea won’t be alone in this feat, as he will have Parmigiano Reggiano, the event’s title sponsor, on his side. In Tiberi, Parmigiano Reggiano found the perfect ambassador to lead the public to the discovery of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines, where the World-famous Italian cheese comes to life.
“You can’t help falling in love with a challenge like “Appenninica”, in it I see the same spirit of my “Dreamlines”,” Tiberi told. “The Apennines are a spectacle of nature, beauty and opportunity (in cycling and beyond), waiting to be discovered, and I think this is what makes the event so special: keeping and enhancing the wild nature and authenticity of these places, while creating a top-level competitive event.”
It’s another Olympic year, but Tiberi’s goal will not be the five-ring race, but rather testing himself in unprecedented ways. “I wish to seize cycling in full, like I always have, but with a greater sake for discovery and adventure, and maybe with more opportunities to share something. At Appenninica, I will meet riders from everywhere in the World, and hopefully I can give some valuable advice, in the racing action and beyond, and even on nutrition. In that sense, having Parmigiano Reggiano on my side is the best insurance.”
APPENNINICA MTB “PARMIGIANO REGGIANO” STAGE RACE
Appenninica MTB “Parmigiano Reggiano” Stage Race is an MTB stage race taking place in Italy, on the Apennines mountain range, between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. The second edition takes place from July 19th to 25th, 2020. Riders can participate either in two-athlete teams (men, women, mixed) or as individuals (men and women).
With over 450 km of distance and 16.000 meters of elevation gain, Appenninica places itself among the toughest MTB stage races in the World and is the only Italian event to belong in the same “family” of events like Bike Transalp (Eastern Alps), TransRockies (Canada) and Cape Epic (South Africa).
The race is run over seven stages, including an opening and a “Queen Stage”, all of those immersed in the nature of the Emilian Apennine, full of still-unexplored opportunities for MTB and outdoor activities. That’s what makes “Appenninica” a legitimate trip “into the wild”, all to be discovered: a new frontier for international mountain bike.
The warm welcoming of the people from Emilia-Romagna is another plus of “Appenninica”s atmosphere: from climbs to smiles, to cuisine, the Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano stage experience is designed to leave a mark.
