The 24-hr Montello - Memorial Mauro Marcato was held on April 17 and 18 in the splendid setting of Montello, in the March of Treviso. And now the results. The race – the first important appointment of the ultracycling season in Europe – has reached its second edition and has grown dramatically compared to the 2009 edition. With 53 registered racers from 12 countries around the world (Australia, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Greek, Italy, the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.S.A.) representing three continents (North America, Europe and Oceania), the 24-hr Montello confirmed its titleship recognized by the UMCA (Ultra Cycling Marathon Association, the international Ultracycling federation) as Italian Ultracycling Championship, European 24-hr Ultracycling 2010 Championship and the World Cup Trial. Many and important RAAMers participated: the Swiss Beny Furrer (RAAM 2003 and RAAM 2008) and his yellow countryman Hermann Bachmann (RAAM 2009); the German Michael Nehls, seventh in the RAAM 2008; the Italians Giovanni Vilardi (RAAM 2005 on a two-person team) and Fabio Biasiolo – the first Italian ever to have finished the RAAM and one of the few athletes in the world to have raced over 5000 kilometres in fewer than 9 days – having participated eleven times. A lot of important athletes, such as the Australian triathlete Matthew Warner-Smith, who won the 24-hr Montello – World Cup Trial, the fifth on the world ultracycling calendar and the first in Europe.
Matthew took the lead after the fourth lap and led the race until the finish with the determination, calmness and drive of a champion. Other competitors in the 24-hr come from triathlons: the Swiss Olivier Zeiter, the Italians Angelo Sorrentino - three ultra trials, eleven Ironman, two triple Ironman and numerous tours – and Diego Celegato, who are at home in Montello, having been among the reckless who last year baptized the race, along with Sonia Marchioro, Marco Polo and Consuelo Rigato. Also the Slovenian Smerdel Rok, at his first 24-hr ultracycling experience, comes from a background of triathlons, together with his friend and yellow countryman David Rihtarič – absolute first in the Race Around Austria in 2009 – had another RAAMer as a companion: Fredy Virag, who organized their support in Santa Maria della Vittoria. A great deal of participants came from other extraordinary sports backgrounds: Steinberger Bernhard (Germany) – world record for 24-hr on a static bike in 2006; Bertholet Sébastien (France) – French champion of the elite in 2009 and in the same year French champion of the elite chronometer. All specialists in long distance, such as the Italians Davide Frana – who took part in the RAS and the Race Around Central Europe in 2009 - and Paolo Laureti, who, together with the Swiss Christian Burri and Stephane Cand and the Croatian Ares Bursic, participated in the Radmarathon 2009. Other 24-hr experts come from Switzerland: Alessandro Piazza and Stefan Hutmacher – who won the 24-hr of the Liguria Final in 2007. A good turnout of racers, who, even though it was their first experience in this type of race, performed considerable well: Giorgio Murari, Pierangelo Rivoira, Riccardo Scomparin, Marco Tosi, Adriano Gambato, Michele Scalvini, Giuseppe Faganello, Guglielmo Moscardini, and Maurizio Furlanetto. All were curious to face the commitment of a 24-hr on the road and hoping to qualify for the RAAM. Such as the Italian Anna Mei, Italian champion of the 24-hr mtb cup in the Lady’s category and 24-hr mtb world champion, age group category, in 2009, who got truly close to her target, hit by the Croatian Bursic Ares. Also a numerous group of Italians who participated in a 24-hr ultracycling for the first time, but with other races and cycling victories in their curricula: Ivano Alotti, Marco Bozzato, the guys from the TFF Team – Francesco De Cillis, Luca Barbiero, Andrea Evertini, Riccardo Mangino, Stefano Albertin, Michele Rota, Michele Cavallini. The young Germans from the Freiburg Team – Daniel Schillinger and Dennis Böhm -, Enrico De Gaspari and Roberto De Bei raced, instead, in the first edition of the 12-hr, which the organizers intended to be a way to attract more and more cyclists to ultracycling. Two important moments were the backdrop to the race. The pre-race meeting with the participants and their companions, held on Friday April 16 and the awards ceremony on Sunday April 19, both at the centre for the Italian alpine troops in Santa Maria della Vittoria. All attending greatly appreciated the speech by Fabio Biasiolo, representative of the UMCA for southern Europe and one of the organizers of the 24-hr Montello: the correctness and respect for ultracycling rules and the other racers are the principles that drive the Italian race and every effort will be made in each edition to guarantee maximum control and maximum safety for everyone. But the 24-hr Montello also strives to be a moment to share a common passion and everyone’s results: that is why the awarding of prizes is done immediately after the end of the race. All participants were given an award for their commitment and in memory of the 24-hr Montello. The prizes were given by Ms. Bruna Marcato, the mother of Mauro Marcato – Fabio Biasiolo’s friend and training companion, in whose memory the race is dedicated – and in the presence of his sister Stefania and his niece Carlotta. The following titles were given:
Italian Ultracycling Championship
Men’s Only 18/49:
Fabio Biasiolo, Ivano Alotti, Giorgio Murari
Men’s Only 50/59:
Riccardo Scomparin, Marco Tosi, Maurizio Furlanetto
Men’s Only over 60:
Guglielmo Moscardini
Women’s Only 18/49:
Anna Mei, Sonia Marchioro
European-24-hr Ultracycling 2010 Championship
Men’s Only 18/49:
Fabio Biasiolo (Italy), Bernhard Steinberger (Germany), Sébastien Bertholet (France)
Men’s Only 50/59:
Beny Furrer (Switzerland), Riccardo Scomparin (Italy), Marco Tosi (Italy)
World Cup Trial
Men’s Only 18/49:
Matthew Warner-Smith (Australia), Fabio Biasiolo (Italy), Bernhard Steinberger (Germany)
The following records were set in each category:
for all categories and for the Men’s Only 18/49 category:
Matthew Warner Smith (Australia), 677.5 km (421.069 m)
Best time: Fabio Biasiolo (Italy) 55 hr 54 min, 35.95 kph (22.35 mph)
Men’s Only 50/59 category:
Beny Furrer (Switzerland), 569.5 km (353.95 m)
Best time: Beny Furrer (Switzerland), 1 hr 3 min 48 sec, 32.25 kph (20.82 mph)
Men’s Only over 60 category:
Guglielmo Moscardini (Italy), 502.5 km (312.31 m)
Best time: 1 hr 4 min 46 sec, 31.92 kph (19.84 mph)
Women’s Only 18/49 category:
Anna Mei (Italy), 502.5 km (312.30 m)
Best time: Anna Mei (Italy), 1 hr 9 min 10 sec, 30.69 kph (19.07 mph)
The organizers awarded a special prize to Beny Furrer. The excellent Swiss ultracycler, one of the most famous RAAMers in the history of ultraycling, with numerous victories in the toughest European races, cultivated and gave life to his talent despite a physical impairment, which is though too quickly and superficially to limit a person’s possibilities and life. Beny Furrer’s story bears witness to the infinite abilities a person can tap into when he or she simply wants to do something. For Sara and Fabio, Beny represents those values of determination, enthusiasm, passion, correctness, and loyalty, which they want to be tied to the name of the 24-hr Montello and therefore they are thrilled that the Swiss athlete received the top recognition, which each year will be given to who truly represents the spirit of the Memorial Mauro Marcato. In memory of those who took part in the race and who organized it, the second edition of the 24-hr Montello certainly remains tied to two extraordinary climatic events, which put the positive result of the race to the test. On one hand the torrential rain that fell on Montello during the night of Saturday the 17th. The endurance of the participants and their teams was further put to the test by the cold and poor visibility, in addition to the rain. In spite of everything, the unexpected rainstorm did not stop the athletes, nor did it compromise their performance, rather it exalted their physical and mental preparation even more. On the other hand, the giant cloud of ash created by the eruption of the volcano under the glacier Eyjafjallajokull, in southern Iceland, which almost entirely blocked air traffic with the main airports in northern Europe closed, stopped some registered racers from arriving in Italy. They have already assured their presence in the 2011 edition, as well as many other participants, who informed the organizers of their good impressions of the organizational efforts, the route and the welcome from the region that hosts the race, have already expressed their desire to race in the third edition of the 24-hr Montello.
Therefore, awaiting everyone at the next edition, the organizers would like to thank the athletes and the territory of Montello, without them the race would not take place. Everyone contributed directly or indirectly to make it happen: the local and provincial administrations, the citizens of Montello, the group of alpine troops and the parish of Santa Maria, the local businesses and associations that sponsored the event, the A.S.D., the Timekeepers of the Province of Venice in collaboration with their colleagues from the provincial section of Treviso. Finally, but only because a list can only be so long, and those closest can understand, all those people who gave their time and competences before, during and after the race.
(Sara Taglialatela and Fabio Biasiolo)Click here for the photogallery
