XC Tra Le Torri 2022, Lazzaretti anticipates host Pederiva!

The athlete of Team Sogno Veneto beat Simone Pederiva in a thrilling head-to-head, while among the Open Women is the domain of Maria Zarantonello (Mainetti Metallurgica V GT Trevisan). Among the juniors, the Italian Beatrice Fontana (Team Rudy Project) also shone. More than 500 participants

Spectacle it had to be and spectacle it was at the XC Tra Le Torri 2022. In the shadow of the Credazzo Towers in Farra di Soligo (Treviso), more than 500 athletes, from beginners to masters, challenged each other on the trails and climbs created in the vineyards of the splendid Prosecco hills, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The dreaded rain did not arrive and the bikers were able to enjoy the route in its entirety, from 9am when the juniors started until 3.30pm when the women juniors finished. The race was also valid as the third round of the Veneto Cup 2022.
The spotlight was obviously on the Open races that were staged in the morning: among the men, the winner was Lorenzo Lazzaretti from Feltre (Team Sogno Veneto), who gave life to a splendid head-to-head with the host Simone Pederiva (G.S. Porto Viro), which was resolved only on the last lap. In third place was Enrico Bressan (Conegliano Bike Team).
The course was well designed, with a good alternation of climbs and descents,” explained Lazzaretti. It was not particularly long, and I knew that the race would not last long. Halfway through the race I started to pick up the pace and realised that I was the strongest on the climbs. I managed to make a difference, but then on the last lap I punctured and risked losing it. Fortunately the tyre held until the finish line”.
Among the women, the Vicenza-born Maria Zarantonello (Mainetti Metallurgica V GT Trevisan) smiled, dominating the scene by clearly anticipating Vanessa Lucca (G.S. Lagorai Bike) and Antonia Berto (G.S. Doni 2004). Also deserving of special mention was the Italian Beatrice Fontana (Team Rudy Project), who made all her talent count by winning the junior women’s race.
I liked the course a lot, it was tough but there was also a lot of space to have fun,” Zarantonello said. I didn’t get off to a good start, as I usually do, but then I reacted and recovered well. I managed to make the difference especially on the downhill. I am really happy about this success.
The course was indicated by all as rather tough and selective, a 4.5-kilometre loop with several pitfalls and suitable for all-round racers. After the launch lap, introduced this year to lengthen and thin out the peloton before the start of the circuit proper, the start was immediately uphill with a rough section called Domino that led to the highest point of the race. After that, the technical and explosive Pederiva Park single-track had to be tackled, and then a dirt road, called 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 section, was the Push Hard segment, which was followed by the Snake Trial single-track that led the athletes towards the finish in Via Credazzo.
We feared that we would have to deal with another day with complicated weather conditions after what happened at the Trofeo Piva, but this time the weather was clement and I think it turned out to be a good show,” explained Mario De Rosso, the President of AC Col San Martino, the event organiser. “The more than 500 bikers who started out seemed to enjoy the day in the middle of the vineyards, and for us that is the most important thing. As usual, I would like to thank all of our supporters, the owners of the land along the race route and those of the companies in the parking area, the volunteers and all of the associations that dedicated their time and resources to the success of the event’.