One of the two Italian stages of the UCI Gravel World Series took place in Orosei on April 25th. The Italian national team was also present and collected the podium in both the men’s and women’s events respectively with second place for Matteo Zurlo and second and third for Carlotta Borello and Anna Oberparleiter.
“The coach Daniele Pontoni is satisfied: “We picked up the season where we left off in 2023, with excellent placings on the international stage which allow us to prepare for the rest of the season with peace of mind. Now other Cup competitions await us, then the culmination will be in the autumn with the European Championships and World Cups.” Bad luck for Oss who lost the victory to the German Rassmann due to a technical problem at the end.
The test, part of the long week of competitions organized by ASD Mari& Monti, saw 215 registered athletes arriving from all over the world battle in the morning for the selection test of the UCI Gravel World Series. At stake were passes to take part in the world championship scheduled for October in Belgium.
What aroused the curiosity of the experts above all was the Italian National Gravel team with the Italian Champions Matteo Zurlo and Giada Borghesi, the 2022 world vice champion, the Trentino Daniel Oss, and the Italian CX Under 23 champion Filippo Agostinacchio. With them also all the major Italian specialists (Elite and amateur categories) and numerous foreigners.
After the start, the German Patrick Haller and the Italian Agostinacchio stood out. The two proceed in unison but already on the first dirt climbs the pursuers reduce the gap. At Bidderosa the first to pass are Matteo Zurlo and the German Frederik Rassmann. Unfortunate fall for Agostinacchio at the end of the first lap. The blue gets back into the saddle but loses ground from the leaders. In the second passage to Bidderosa, Daniel Oss, Matteo Zurlo, Frederik Rassmann, Christnsen Ryan and the German Dominik Bauer are in the lead. Daniele Oss took the lead by more than a minute, but was stopped by a mechanical failure. The winner is the German Frederick Rassmann who finishes with arms raised in 4h23’50” with 5″ on the Austrian Alban Lakata. Third is Matteo Zurlo, 1’35” behind. Fourth place for a heroic Agostinacchio and eighth for Oss.
Among the women, success went to Debora Piana, representative of the Cingolani Specialized team. At 14’05 the Italian Carlotta Borello and at 16’05” Anna Oberparleiter.
