Race Report: Superenduro PRO Round #2 – Punta Ala
A thrilling final has just been enjoyed, exciting as that of the first round of the season… The Punta Ala Camping Resort has hosted the second round of the Superenduro 2014 Powered By SRAM, a race that just ended with a climax of emotions, galvanizing teams and public until the last meter of the course. Marco Milivinti (Torpado Factory Team) officially enters into the elite of the Enduro riders, winning on the trails of the Bandite Trail Area, the Italian University of the Enduro speciality. Only the last Special Stage has decided the Round, after more than eighty km of racing spanned over two days.
Milivinti, after kicking off with 11.2 seconds of time advantage after the Special Stages on Saturday, had to keep an eye on the time recovery by Nicola Casadei (Lapierre – Gravity Games) and Manuel Ducci (Ibis – Life Cycle), focussed in moving their assault against him and able to win the Special Stages number 3 and 4, gaining precious seconds.
At the starting line of the Special Stage number 5, the rider from Sanremo had preserved only seven hundredths of second of advantage with respect to the rider from Valtellina, while Casadei was just a little more than 5 seconds behind. A crazy emotional strain spread out over the race, which finally ended with another victory of Milivinti, at his second success at Superenduro. Ducci, after a little mistake, had to content himself with a second position, just ahead of Casadei. The fourth place goes to Vittorio Gambirasio (Trek – Officine Red Bike), regular as always in his results, followed by Kristijan Medvescek (GT) from Slovenia, the first non Italian rider of the ranking. The sixth position is held by Alex Lupato (Lapierre – FRM Factory Team), who raced with an injured ankle, followed by the Team Airoh Axo SantaCruz couple Bruno Zanchi & Francesco Colombo and by Francesco Fregona (Banshee – Weekend Wheels) and the Portuguese Marco Fidalgo (Berg Cycles), still in the top ten.
The race of the ladies has instead been unquestionable, with the absolute supremacy of Louise Paulin (Cannondale – Team Oddonebici). Louise came back to the Superenduro for kicks and is now leader of the female ranking with full advantage.
The lady from Sweden, now naturalized citizen of Liguria, confirmed the performance shown at Sestri Levante and won each of the Special Stages gaining more than one minute and a half from Valentina Macheda (Ibis – Life Cycle). Laura Rossin (Devinci – Dream Team) took the third step of the podium, ahead of Chiara Pastore (SantaCruz – Team Cicobikes DSB) and Mary Moncorgè (Ibis).
Punta Ala confirms to be one of the most difficult round of the Series, seriously challenging riders and bikes. In two days of racing, it provided the Special Stages with a course terrain among the most complete of the Series. Technical and fast descents, sections requiring good technique, steep climbs and pedalled sprints: the same variety of elements that exactly one year ago persuaded the Enduro World Series organizers to choose Punta Ala as location for the memorable world premiere. The feedback given by the participants has been brilliant and all the riders recognise this edition as one of the best organized in the Bandite Trail Area history of enduro, perfectly arranged by Marco Tiberi and his staff.
Full Results
Overall
Woman
The Superenduro Powered By SRAM is going to leave the beach, heading up to the Alps. The next round will take place in Madesimo (SO), straight on the home ground of Marco Milivinti, who is now nothing less than the man-to-beat. The competition know that they cannot just wait and observe what happens, now they realize that Milivinti is fast, determined and extremely difficult to beat.
More information on superenduromtb.com
Words & Pictures: superenduromtb.com
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