XC Tra le Torri 2023, it’s Filippo Fontana’s show!
The Italian cyclocross champion, wearing the CS Carabinieri Olympia Vittori jersey, annihilates the competition and wins the 16th Cross Country in the middle of the Prosecco Hills. Among the women Astrid Miola (El Coridor Team) flew, who clearly outdistanced her rivals
On Labour Day, the bikers who arrived in Farra di Soligo (Treviso) for the 16th XC Tra le Torri also partied. Participants of all ages, from beginners to masters, battled it out on the fun course drawn through the vineyards of the Prosecco Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the shadow of the Credazzo Towers.
The attentions of the fans were mainly focused on the Open races, which brought together some of the best performers at national level, and the spectacle was certainly not lacking. The men’s race was won, as predicted, by the talented and eclectic Filippo Fontana (CS Carabinieri Olympia Vittori), who was crowned national champion in cyclocross a few months ago in Rome, and who asserted his law right from the second lap of the six planned, proving that he was definitely the strongest. The class of 2000 from Fregona – which is located about 20 km from Farra di Soligo – outdistanced Nicholas Pettinà (Mainetti Metallurgica V GT Tre) by 1’25” and Alberto Capoia (Sogno Veneto) by 1’47”, who finished second and third respectively. Also worth highlighting was the performance of the eternal Martino Fruet (Lapierre-Trentino-Alè), fifth, who finished ahead of Lorenzo Lazzaretti (Sogno Veneto), last year’s winner, and the host Simone Pederiva (Velo Club Meduna), who actively helped design the course.
“I had already come in 2019 to the Cross Country Tra le Torri, but the course was a bit different,” said Fontana, who yesterday was engaged in the Esanatoglia round of the Internazionali d’Italia Series, which ended in 5th place. “I had fun, although I found the course quite hard, perhaps also because I still have yesterday’s day in my legs. I had come to reconnoitre the course a few days ago, but yesterday’s rain made the last part of the course very slippery, so much so that I struggled to stay on my feet in some passages. So far my season has been pretty consistent, with a couple of international victories that are good for morale. Now, however, comes the main goal, the World Cup.
The course was indicated by all as rather tough and selective, a 4.5-kilometre loop with several pitfalls and suitable for all-rounders. After the launching lap, the start was immediately uphill with an asperity called Domino, which led to the highest point of the race. After that came the technical and explosive Pederiva Park single-track, and then a dirt road, called the Corkscrew for its succession of very fast corners. After a short breather, it was Gor di Cuna Wall, a steep descent, and then Gor della Cuna with its characteristic waterfall. The last asperity of the circuit, after a short vineyard stretch, was the Push Hard segment, which was followed by the Snake Trial single-track that led the athletes towards the finish in Via Credazzo.
Among the women, however, came the solo victory of Astrid Miola (El Coredor Team), who beat Lisa Canciani (Lee Cougan MTB) by 3’33” and Sara Vicentini (Sogno Veneto) by 6’07”. I’m very happy with this victory,” said Miola, “I didn’t know how my leg would respond, because I came from a week with heavy workloads, but I’d say it went well. I liked the course, tough, with short and demanding climbs, and the descent was technical and also quite wet. Next objectives? The Italian Championship, the World Cup in Val di Sole, and the Courmayeur International’.
A total of about 450 athletes tested themselves in the XC Tra le Torri: “We are satisfied, the general level compared to last year has risen,” explained Mario De Rosso, president of AC Col San Martino, the event’s organising club. Having a winner like Fontana certainly gives lustre to the race. The course designed in the heart of the Prosecco Hills is spectacular, everyone recognises this, and that is why we want to continue working so that the XC Tra le Torri can grow further. As usual, I would like to thank all our supporters, the owners of the land along the race route and those of the companies in the parking area, the volunteers and all the associations that have dedicated their time and resources to the success of the event’.
