COMMEZZADURA (VAL DI SOLE – TRENTINO), 7 SEPTEMBER 2016 – Among the favourites for the 4X podium is also Italian rider Giovanni Pozzoni. The competition will open the calendar of 2016 UCI Mtb Val di Sole. Spotlight on Czech Tomas Slavik who dominated the season, outgoing German champion Aiko Göhler and Austrian Hannes Slavik. Another favourite is British Scott Beaumont, trying to clinch the last victory in his long career. The young and promising Italian Pozzoni finished sixth last year in Daolasa, due to a crash in the semi-final.
In the Women’s category, the favourites are Australian former champion Caroline Buchanan and winner of 2015 World title, Dutch Anneke Beerten who, despite focussing mainly on enduro, is still the best athlete in this discipline. Other pretenders to the podium are 4X Pro Tour 2015 queen, Czech Romana Labounkova and Lucia Oetjen.
The long international gravity season ends in Trentino on the track located near the final section of the Black Snake downhill course. The first titles will be awarded on Friday 9 September, with the race taking place at night.
The course is one of the oldest and most famous in the world, created for 2008 UCI Mtb World Championships 2008. It is 600 m long with 100 metres elevation drop; it is the longest in the 4X Pro Tour circuit, the equivalent of World Cup in the Four-Cross. The special features of this track are: the very famous Pro Line, a section dedicated only to the best athletes owing to its three long and tricky double jumps; a perfectly flood-lit area suitable for a night race.
Things will get tough tomorrow night at 20.30 when the qualifying rounds will start consisting of single timed runs. Finals will take place on Friday night from 20.45.
Riders seeded for the men and women finals – 32 and 16 respectively – will compete 4 at a time on a winding and tricky course. Only the first two of the heat will go to the following round in a straightforward eliminator format consisting of knock-out stages until the winner is crowned.
Info:
Thursday 8 September, h20.30: 4X official qualifying rounds
Friday 9 September, h20.45: 4X World Championships
Alberto Penasa - Azienda Turismo Val di Sole
Viale Marconi, 7 - 3827 - Malè - (TN)
Tel. +39.0463.900863 - Fax +39.0463.901563
www.valdisole.net - penasa.a@valdisole.net
