The Italian champion conquers the cold and difficult conditions to score a mighty victory with a view to the first round of the World Cup in Brazil. Mitterwallner dominates in the women’s race as expected; a third place on home turf for an excellent Eva Lechner.
For once, the Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race didn’t live up to its name. There was no sun waiting for the athletes in the 21st edition of the longest-running Italian mountain bike classic. On the contrary, rain and cold put racers to the test on Saturday April 2nd in the Internazionali d’Italia Series round 2, the first part of a two-day weekend that will see the youth categories in action tomorrow. The event counts more than 800 riders in total.
A few days prior to the first round of the 2022 World Cup series in Petropolis, Brazil, Nals was the litmus test for many who are possibly searching for reassurance of their early season form. Leaving Nals with the best results were Nadir Colledani and Mona Mitterwallner, winners in the Open categories for this 21st edition.
The UCI Junior Series races also offered plenty of highlights and spectacular racing. The women’s race was won by local favorite, Sophie Auer, whilst the men’s crown went to Frenchman, Pierre Magnier.
The “rain man” Colledani nails his first HC victory
One of Nadir Colledani’s (MMR Racing Team) best performances at the Internazionali d’Italia Series dates back to San Marino 2019, when he clinched a memorable second place in storm conditions against opponents such as Lars Forster and Nino Schurter.
The Italian national champion managed to do even better In Nals 2022 by winning his first career HC race, with rain as a factor once again. Indeed, rain returned to liven up the afternoon’s Open Men’s event at the Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race to add even more challenge on top of temperatures that stayed low throughout the day.
The race favorite was South African, Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing), who dueled with the Italian National Champion for four out of the race’s six laps on increasingly technical and treacherous terrain.
After the fourth lap, Hatherly paid the toll for the cold conditions when he started to fade. Colledani forged his own pace until the finish line to fully enjoy his first HC success.
Behind him, with Hatherly slipping back, the race for second place was between two more Italian riders. It was Gioele Bertolini (Trinx Factory Racing, +1.31) who rode a brilliant race and eventually prevailed, which returned him to the Internazionali d’Italia Series podium after some years and also scored him the Open Men’s leader’s jersey.
In third place was Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Pirelli, +1.37), ahead of Gregor Raggl (Brunex Superior Racing), and Filippo Fontana (Carabinieri-Olimpia), who’s the new leader of the Internazionali d’Italia Series in the Under 23 category. Hatherly had to accept sixth place.
“It feels great to win an HC race for the first time here in Nals. For some reason, I manage to perform at my best when it rains; today, I think I also made a good tire selection. It’s certainly also a matter of mentality, something with which I have progressed significantly, and which I am working hard on. Now I’m leaving for Brazil with a high morale,” Colledani stated after the race.
Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing) lived up to the expectations in the Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race’s Open Women’s category.
The Austrian rebounded from a relatively slow start and punched the accelerator as soon as she found the most suitable terrain for her skills: the long Usignolo climb. Eva Lechner (Trinx Factory Racing) set the pace in the first lap, but there was little the four-time winner in Nals could do against her rival’s comeback.
By the end of the second lap, Mitterwallner had 22 seconds on Giada Specia (Wilier-Pirelli), who was looking solid again after her success in San Zeno di Montagna, and 28 seconds on both Lechner and German racer, Leonie Daubermann (KTM Factory Racing Team). Mitterwallner managed to lengthen the gap with the trio in chase by 1.12 in the next lap.
From there on, the Austrian athlete managed her pace and finished her effort in 1:33.37. Second place went to Leonie Daubermann (+1.13.), and third to a smiling Eva Lechner (+1.40). With her fourth place, Giada Specia confirmed her lead in the general classification of the Internazionali d’Italia Series in both the Open and Under 23 Women’s categories, ahead of Giorgia Marchet (Trinx Factory Racing), who finished fifth on the day.
“Nals is a race that I love, I was happy to be able to come here and test myself before my elite debut at the World Cup in Brazil,” commented Mona Mitterwallner. “Today the route was difficult and technical, but thanks to the excellent rhythm I found with the new bike, I was able to give it my best.”
Frenchman, Paul Magnier, put an emphatic mark on the Junior Men’s event, the opening race in the 2022 Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race, which also counts as a UCI Junior Series event.
The 17-year-old Veloroc – Lapierre Team rider was impressive throughout the four laps that included an attack – only the German racer, Lars Gräter (German Technology Racing Team), could control the gap for a couple of laps, while the rest of the field quickly found themselves more than one minute behind on a very hard, tricky course covered in mud after Friday’s rain on a cold but dry early morning in Südtirol.
“The course was very tough today, but I had good legs, which made a difference on the climb, and I was technically solid on the tricky descent. That’s an important win for my confidence,” said Magnier.
Gräter was second to the finish line (+ 1.28), whilst local rider, Elian Paccagnella (Junior Team Südtirol ASV), enjoyed a breakout performance by taking third in his home race, 3 minutes 50 seconds back from the leader.
After a good start, Italy’s Marco Betteo (Scott Racing Team) eventually fell back and finished in 15th place. That proved enough to move to the top of the Internazionali d’Italia Series’ standings in the Junior Men’s category.
The UCI Junior Series women’s race in Nals satisfied the hometown crowd, which witnessed a victory by local, South Tyrolean talent, Sophie Auer.
The Junior Team Südtirol ASV athlete led from the first lap. Auer scored the win by a mere four seconds at the finish line after being narrowly chased throughout the race by Swiss rider, Anina Hutter (Brunex Superior Factory Racing). Third place at +1:54 went to British racer, Ella Maclean-Howell (Tofauti Everyone Active).
Sophie Auer also took over the Internazionali d’Italia Series category’s GC lead from fellow Italian Valentina Corvi (Trinx Factory Racing), who arrived fourth on the day.
Video highlights at 21.00 CET. Next stage: Capoliveri – Elba Island
The 25-minute video magazine with all the highlights of the 21st Marlene Südtirol Sunshine race will be aired in premiere tonight, Saturday April 2nd, at 9 PM CET on Internazionali d’Italia Series’ Facebook and Youtube channels.
Internazionali d’Italia Series will return on the Easter weekend with its round 3 in Capoliveri – Elba Island, from April 16th to 18th.
Nals (Italy), April 2nd, 2022
