Gattatico From the waters of Lake Iseo to the Paradiso passa journey of almost 220 kilometers and 6 thousand meters of altitude differencee three sports disciplines, swimming, cycling and runningwith a goal to reach in 20 hours at most. “My goal is 17,” he says confidently Roberto Augello, 30 years old, born in Montecchio and resident in Gattatico with his partner Erika and his 2 dogs.
Augello works in a “Telos GS” auto parts shopbut in his free time (the expression almost makes you smile at the epic performances required) he is a triathlete who in the last seven years has seen his efforts and results grow exponentially in various competitions around the world.
Now he wants to face another heroic challenge. Today, in fact, together with 150 other athletes of different nationalities, he is involved in a competition that will literally leave you breathless: The Stone, a high-altitude full-distance extreme triathlon race, organized by TriO Events, in partnership with the Lombardy Region, the Province of Brescia, the Municipality of Ponte di Legno and the Municipality of Sulzano.
Reaching the finish line means overcoming your limits and becoming a Stoneman.
«I train 15 to 20 hours a week. I started doing triathlons in 2017 in the team where I still am “Kinomana” of Parma – he says -. In 2018 I did the first half Ironman (definition used by Ironman Inc., the company that owns the registered trademark, to indicate one of the standard triathlon distances, the longest ever, ndr) on the island of Elba. In 2019 I did the XTerra, a cross triathlon race on Lake Garda, the half Ironman in Riccione, the half Ironman in Palma de Mallorca and the Reggio Emilia marathon. In 2021 I prepared for the full Ironman in Cervia, with a friend Michele De Rosa, who still trains with me and advises me for all the races».
This was followed in 2023 by the Klagenfurt Ironman and the Tour of Flanders, a Northern classic, up to the last titanic undertaking this year, the Italy Divide, a bikepacking competition, in which you have several bags attached to your bike with which to distribute the load without other supports.
«A real race to the limit – he says –: 1,250 km with 24 thousand meters of altitude that starts from Pompeii and arrives in Torbole Trento, almost entirely off-road. Having done this I thought: “Why not do something more extreme?” And so here I am.”
At 4 am the departure with the swimming crossing of Lake Iseo: 3.8 km, to be done in 6 hours, from Tavernola (Bergamo) to Sulzano (Brescia). Followed by 175 kilometers by bike, tackling three high mountain passes, with a height difference of 4,100 metres, in 11 hours. And followed by 39 kilometers of running in 7 hours in the heart of Alta Val Camonica. Maximum arrival expected at midnight.
«When I leave for the races I do it with the awareness that it will be a long day and there will be many variables – comments Augello – which can affect the performance. This is why I take it as a journey.” L
