The summer is almost here and for Superenduro Powered By SRAM it’s time to climb up the Alps, for the first of the two mountain rounds of the 2014 season.

9122919790_73dbdc3fa4_o

The action starts again next 28-29 of June at Madesimo (SO), a place where people have never been losing their faith in mountain-biking and always kept offering awesome routes in even more amazing surroundings…

After two rounds on the sea, Superenduro lands on the upper Val Chiavenna, ideally located and of very easy access for riders from all over Europe. The lifts of Madesimo will be open this weekend to let the riders inspect the course, while next week the opening will be moved to an early date: Wednesday before the race!

9119506717_fed8c4ed9b_o

The 2014 edition of this Lombardia round will be full of surprises, such as the killer combo of the Madebike Park trails with the new Special Stage (PS) which drops down throughout Andossi, on the other side of the lifts. A breathtaking single track, the worthy opening for the Saturday afternoon stage. It is a truly anticipated new trail and it will be the perfect complement for what has been chosen as an ideal terrain for a Superenduro Special Stage, with its techy and especially entertaining course.

9114800546_78366964c5_o

Day 1, characterized by pedaled transfers only, will include the PS Andossi, followed by the classic Larici, within the Bike Park area. On Sunday the riders will come face to face on the dirt of four PS: Crestino 1, Balloon, Crestino 2, Larici. The time check will let them breath only after the first two stages and the last PS will drop down straight to the centre of Madesimo, to galvanize the public even more! It will be a long and interesting competition, where the weather instability typical of the mountains will play its important role, making any bet really difficult at this stage.

9121812684_13c094de29_o

The whole Series is at its halfway point and Madesimo means for many riders the last call, before the closing appointment of Sauze d’Oulx the 6-7 of September. The top of the general classification is hold by Marco Milivinti, the real surprise of the two first rounds, followed by Manuel Ducci (who will come back after an ankle injury) and by the new Italian champion Alex Lupato, who exactly in Madesimo won last year his first Italian jersey. Vittorio Gambirasio and Nicola Casadei will need to mark close their rivals, as all the well-classified riders will try to get their own good position. The spotlight will be on Davide Sottocornola, surely one of the protagonists of this round, who finally seems to have found his usual riding mojo.

9104371322_f946f792b6_o

At Madesimo Milivinti will play his home match: his victory here would propel him toward the final leadership. The Italian riders will need to face a number of bikers who come from other countries and only need very few points to enter the top ten. Big names – it is confirmed – will show up at Madesimo, such as Mark Scott, Adam Craig and Lars Sternberg: it is easy to image that they will fight hard for the first positions.

Madesimo proves again to be one of the most appreciated appointments for foreign riders, who really enjoy playing in the larch woods and on the roots of the Madebike Park.

9104371980_1173119e5e_o

The lady scene is instead very undefined, as the leader of the first two stages, Luise Pauline, cannot take part to this round due to an injury. This will mean zero points and a very critical step toward the overall classification. The road is paved then for Valentina Macheda, for the Italian champion Laura Rossin and for Chiara Pastore: they will fight a great battle and a breathtaking show is guaranteed.

More information on superenduromtb.com

Words & Pictures: superenduromtb.com


Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.