There Sunday 23 June registered Cycling 2000 Litokol to Scandiancharacterized by the usual hard work of the Rubiera team (in collaboration with Scandianese, Boiardo and Rubierese) from the president Ruggero Rivi and the tireless team manager William Tondelli to the entire staff of technicians, managers and loyal collaborators, has allowed an impeccable execution of three exciting races. Thanks, of course, to a circuit which regularly halved the class groups of 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008 who faced the six and a half kilometers almost devoid of plain around the town of Reggio Emilia, going down to San Ruffino and culminating with the finish line in Via Manzoni one hundred meters before the finish line.
For the Beginners what was at stake was above all the yellow-red shirt regional champion category, delivered on the awards stage by Max Bravi, councilor of the Emilia-Romagna Committee of the Cycling Federation. THE 1st year they completed 39 kilometers at almost 35 km/h on average, the only race wet with rain while the subsequent ones would take place under a gray sky but on a dry road. Absolute protagonist Sergio Pellegrino from Ceretolesewho won all the GPMs (the first two leading the group, the other four solo) thus taking his fifth victory of the season. Behind him he tried for a long time to chase Lorenzo Salvi of Fausto Coppi, but was caught by his pursuers on the last lap: it was then a tight sprint for the places of honor, with Denny Cazzarò from Torrile to conquer the second place before Edoardo Sartoni and Marco Vionea, of Strong and Free Zanetti. To Pellegrino, therefore, the Emilia-Romagna title and the Teamwork trophynamed after one of the loyal sponsors, the tile and ceramic company whose product manager, engineer Riccardo Marchiò, was a rider in the Ciclistica 2000.
Between 2nd year, given the progress of the previous test, many tried to escape immediately but the teams most interested in the final success were able to keep the race closed. At least until km 35 (out of 52 total) when they are three of them left: Manuele Marzari (Ceretolese) who dreamed of repeating the feat of his teammate Pellegrino, Francesco Carloni (Madignanese) who won the GPM classification, and Matteo Casadio (Azzurro Rinascita) who then got up on the penultimate lap and was “replaced ” among the pacesetters by Leonardo Manfredi of Cavriago. The latter tried to sprint on the final climbs, but the effort was in vain about twenty boys were found on the run who competed for success: from the vertical arrival ramp a Ciclistica 2000 Litokol jersey emerged in front of everyone, that of Oleksandr Osadchyi, who kept the Cotignolese duo Niccolò Astara and Lucio Baccini behind him, shouting his joy after a start to the season full of crashes, mechanical problems and closed doors in the sprint. Yes, the Emilia-Romagna 2nd year Beginners champion is Ukrainian: he left his Kiev for the war in 2022 with his mother and sister, finding a new home in Modena and in Reggio Emilia society a second family who shouted their joy together with him on Sunday. On stage, in Italian marked by a deep voice and an unmistakable accent, he spoke about the hardship of a “two hundred beats per minute” race and sent the dedication to his loved ones, both those present with him in Italy and those who remained in their country. TO Sasha that’s how it went Corplast Trophy, a company from Correggio that molds plastic materials and produces industrial items, alongside Ciclistica 2000 since its inception in the late 1980s. Speaking of the home team, they tenaciously closed as a group the other two athletes directed by Marco Marastoni namely Matteo Cucinella and Federico Mussini.
Having sent the “regional” morning to the archive, in the afternoon it was the turn of Students coming from different regions, from the Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic. One team in particular dominated: the Marche team Zero24 Cycling, who was able to compete hard right from the start thanks to both the athletic and numerical superiority of its participants. Here too an attempt goes away at km 35 (out of 78 total) but after about fifteen kilometers the courageous Nicolas Achilli of Pontenure is reached and overtaken by a trio: Andrea Pierini, of the Tuscan Montecarlo, and the Zero24 tandem formed by Teo Lancioni and Andrea Alessiani. At km 55 Alessiani goes aloneat 65 Lancioni accelerates to reach him and the two find a chivalric pact: Alessiani who already has a couple of victories under his belt this season takes the lead in the GPM while Lancers he goes to get his first victory of 2024. Behind Pierini and other pursuers they must resign themselves to being caught on the last lap and see the Zero24 party materialize with Edoardo Fiorini regulating the group ahead of Eros Zoppas (Santerno Fabbi), Leone Lisorini (Cecina), Manuele Borghi (Cotignolese), Emanuele Tarabori (Montecarlo) and gradually the others. For Cycling 2000 Alessandro Pedata 12th, Mattia Roncatti 29th, Enea Ori 50th, Federico Zanarini 55th, Jacopo Loffredo and Leonardo Zanfi among the numerous withdrawals. In Lancioni the Litokol trophyto Zero24 which occupied the entire podium Luciano Cottafavi memorial: the prizes of the “oldest” category in the competition could only be dedicated to the Rubiera company which provides name and precious 360 degree support to Ciclistica 2000, since in 2006 patron Cottafavi decided to believe in cycling and human values and sportsmen that the Rivi-Tondelli-led company embodies. Having passed away two years ago, Luciano Cottafavi’s work and stature continue with his daughter Daniela who has taken up the baton.
To the sports directors of the three winners, finally, went the elegant wooden plaques prepared by the organizing company in memory of the former runner (who died while still young in 2007) Mirko Vezzosi and the two former sports directors Romano Mastri and Giacomo Algerithe latter also remembered by his father Giovanni, always present at the competitions organized by the Rubiera association.
So he comments Ruggero Rivi, president of Ciclistica 2000: «We honored our commitment to organize a regional championship to the fullest and not only that, it was very hard but beautiful. To add a magical touch, the weather which held up despite the clouds, the total absence of falls (one of our main objectives) and of course the sporting result which, I won’t hide it, made me shed more than one tear for everything that he is behind us on a sporting and human level. The feedback from the professionals has been excellent and this makes us very proud. I want to thank the many people who made it possible to set up the event, starting from the companies that gave us a great hand, both in material terms and in terms of personnel and location, with the Parco Morgone recreational club made available by Boiardo for the the entire logistics part. Furthermore, the Municipality of Scandiano and of course the sponsors for the fundamental economic contribution without which the event could not exist. Last, but certainly not least, my incredible collaborators who each play an essential role to make this “machine” work which will continue to make its contribution to the grassroots movement.»
Meanwhile, over the weekend, i Very young Litokol designer brands have performed well in the national three-days in Friuli. Between the dirt roads and asphalts of Camporosso in Valcanale, a great thing has arrived 24th place out of 151 companies participants (third place among the Emilia-Romagna) while the winner was Costamasnaga from Lombardy. As individual achievements, Sofia Leoni became G5 champion in the skill tests, then Augusto Canovi fourth among the G5 on the road, while the G4 Pietro Basso and the G6 Thomas Vitaloni placed second in their respective mountain bike categories. Riccardo Castagnoli, Federico Cancellieri, Matteo Righi, Federico and Lorenzo Mantovani, Samuele and Martina Debbia experienced this thrill of the Italian meeting with them.
Memorable moments that constitute a victory on all fronts and allow us to reach the next appointments with renewed energy: Today the “little ones” are engaged in regional phase of the Coni trophy in Montecchio Emilia (another important event) and a representation of the other two categories, including “Sasha” Osadchyi, runs the Attilio Pavesi memorial at the Fiorenzuola velodrome, precursor to the Six Days on the track; on Saturday the Giovanissimi will be in Renazzoin the Ferrara area, for the Cavalier Giberti memorial, finally on Sunday “outside the region” with the Beginners in Piubegain the Mantua area, for the Pecso Cavi trophy, and Students in Montecassiano, in the Macerata area, for the Tomaificio Letizia e Roberta trophy.
PHOTO Alessandro Zanfi
