Superenduro Round 3, Pogno - Saturday Practice and Prologue
Enduro racing seems to be doing something strange to the Italians. In a country where the people are notorious for sacking pretty much everything off if it's raining, 400 or so riders have signed up to come and race on a weekend when the forecasts are predicting heavy thunderstorms. The incredible trail network they have here in Pogno definitely helps too.
Normally Saturdays are prologue day at Superenduro, but there's a small change at this round. While the stage this evening has the prologue format of riders running in reverse order (fastest last), it's a proper race stage that will count toward the final time. Unlike a normal Superenduro stage, riders don't have to pedal up to the stage, but can get to it however they like, so long as they're there for their start time.
Quite honestly, I haven't been able to find the results yet this evening. That's probably because everybody wanted to get out of the rain to get clean and dry (or maybe just I did). It's hard to make a call on the top riders, as to who looked fastest - to pick three it would be Davide Sottocornola, Al Stock and Nico Vouilloz, but that's a pure guess. Maybe I'm biased, but the Gehrigs looked the most composed in the women's field. Tomorrow there are three special stages and around 40km of riding to look forward to. As for the weather? It's going to be a case of sticking your head out of the window in the morning to see what the world looks like. But it's getting late here and there's a selection of grappas being passed round downstairs and some strong, grape liquor is just what the doctor ordered after this afternoon's soaking.
www.superenduromtb.com
Normally Saturdays are prologue day at Superenduro, but there's a small change at this round. While the stage this evening has the prologue format of riders running in reverse order (fastest last), it's a proper race stage that will count toward the final time. Unlike a normal Superenduro stage, riders don't have to pedal up to the stage, but can get to it however they like, so long as they're there for their start time.
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 Will it won't it was the big question this morning. Despite a mostly grey sky, a few bursts of sunlight and it was looking like it might hold... |
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| Churches seem to be a theme right now, this time it was climbing the tower of the church to get a look out over Pogno - Superenduro has basically taken over the village this weekend. To get up there you have to follow the tiny, half-metre wide steps up the edge of the tower, with a six storey drop the other side of the shaky, medieval-looking handrail. At the top I had to stop and take a minute (I hate heights), while Guido, the man who showed me up there (you can just make him out in the bottom right photo), just hopped around on the ledges. |
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| Someone thought this would be a good banner to put up. It would probably be a good idea if someone explained to them the possible confusion this could cause for an English-speaking audience... |
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| Shuttling was the order of the morning - on the Saturday of a race you probably want to get some final practice runs in before the race, but don't want to ruin your legs doing it. The Gehrig twins, Armin Beele, Michael Scharer and the Anrig brothers have all made the trip over from Switzerland this weeknd to come and race. |
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| While Fabian Anrig's brother, Lukas, has had some good results in the Superenduros this year, he looks even more aggressive on the bike than his brother. |
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| Not to be outdone by his brother, Lukas Anrig boosting off a root. |
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| Caro Gehrig getting one last practice run down PS3. |
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| This was parked at the bottom of PS3. A Lancia Delta Integrale. Not the prettiest car the Italian company ever made, but these were turbo-charged, 4x4 beasts built to smash rallies. |
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| This jersey may as well have a bullseye on it. Andrea Bruno and the tricolour jersey everyone will be trying to take off him this weekend. |
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| On the way up to the start of PS1 the weather made up it's mind. It decided to rain on a biblical scale. |
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| This left it a bit muddy underfoot... |
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| More than a few people know what this felt like this afternoon. |
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| Riders were leaving at fifteen second intervals, which made for a lot of overtaking this afternoon. Watching some of the number board going past, it's a fair bet to say some people overtook more than ten people on their way down. |
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| This is what enduro needs: MORE CHAINSAW. |
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| Anita Gherig making the mud look easy. |
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| Armin Beele kicking up roost. |
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| It's hard to tell how fast Nico was going as he looked so composed and under control. |
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| Whereas with Davide Sottocornola it was more obvious he was going balls out. He was the local favourite already and the word is that these conditions are just playing into his hands. |
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| The tracks looked wild in these conditions and there were more than a few smiles on faces at the bottom of the hill after. |
Quite honestly, I haven't been able to find the results yet this evening. That's probably because everybody wanted to get out of the rain to get clean and dry (or maybe just I did). It's hard to make a call on the top riders, as to who looked fastest - to pick three it would be Davide Sottocornola, Al Stock and Nico Vouilloz, but that's a pure guess. Maybe I'm biased, but the Gehrigs looked the most composed in the women's field. Tomorrow there are three special stages and around 40km of riding to look forward to. As for the weather? It's going to be a case of sticking your head out of the window in the morning to see what the world looks like. But it's getting late here and there's a selection of grappas being passed round downstairs and some strong, grape liquor is just what the doctor ordered after this afternoon's soaking.
www.superenduromtb.com
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Last race I did (and didn't finish) was 38km, 6 special stages, 3000m vert accumulated. Longest transfer was the third, taking the fast guys about 1hr to get from the bottom to the top. It took me 1hr20 and I'm middling fit. The last trasfer saw nearly everyone pushing the bikes up. Tough!!!
Fastest guy overall was in his late 30s.
Following a crash he has reported very serious damage to a kidney.
The FCI is most conservative of UCI... it may seem strange, but with all the mountains (beautiful, by the way) we have in Italy, the MTB is very little respect from our federation. Roadraces dominates.
The French, for example, that they have a huge tradition of roadracing like us, have much, much more support and investment for the MTB.
The transfers are uphill, of course pedaled and have a minimum time in which to be concluded.
The special stages are downhill, with raises and some short uphill and are timed.
If you exceed the minimum time in transfers, the surplus is added to the time of the special stages.
In Italy is having great success, because it approach Downhill to XC, in fact, among the strongest riders we can find Andrea Bruno (protagonist in recent years) and Davide Sottocornola coming from DH cornered by Alex Lupato coming from XC racing.
By some years there is a rich representation of foreigners, such as Karim Amour, who initially presented himself on the race, Nico Vouilloz, Brian Lopes, etc. etc.
More info here www.superenduromtb.com/en/filosofia ;-)
It's too hard for me :-P
Nico vas the fastest yesterday.
P.S.: the banner says: "nutritional supplements" :-)