Cloudy skies and temperatures around 20 degrees on Sunday 2 June 2024 at 52nd Peace Cup – Fratelli Anelli Trophy. Ua great sports celebration, which began as per tradition at the factory of the Fratelli Anelli company, which for 49 years has been the setting for the international road cycling race in the Under 23 category, Cat 1.2 MU, valid for the UCI Europe Tour, for the Gabriele Dini trophy and Fabio Casartelli memorial.
A celebration opened by two particularly significant moments. The tribute from the organization, which we remember to be from the Pedale Riminese and the Polisportiva Sant’Ermete, to the team present at the Peace Cup continuously since 1971, Aran Cucine, represented by its Sports Director Umberto “Umbertone” Di Giuseppe.
Exactly 20 ago, Alvaro Anelli was named Knight of Merit of the Republic, a moment remembered by the plaque presented to him today by the Mayor of Santar’Arcangelo Alice Parma.
Parma itself, together with Stefania Sabba first citizen of Verucchio, Emma Petitti – President of the Legislative Assembly of the Emilia Romagna Region and Rodolfo Zavatta, Coni delegate for the Province of Rimini, officially started the competition.
All 5 continents represented, 29 teams at the start, after the withdrawal of the Polish team Bialini, for a total of 163 athletes involved in the 172km of the route which winds along the roads of Valmarecchia.
The race begins immediately at a brisk pace, and after some timid attempts to break away which are immediately reabsorbed by the group, around kilometer 30 of the race, a group of 14 runners breaks away.
A constant progression that brought the leading 4 in a short time to 1’43” ahead of the group. Among the escapees we find: Lorenzo Conforti – Green Project, Dennis Lock-Zalf, Palomba, Peschi and Pezzo Rosola – General Store, Scarpelli – Team Technipes, Shmidt- Hagens, Stedman -Q36.5, Dodd – Tirol, Bottaro- Mendrisio, Zamperini – Trevigiani, Peyrot-Monex, Muniz-Petrolike, Bozicevich – Hopplà.
By maintaining a constant pace, the group will take a lead of over 2’30” which will become 2’58” and reach 2’35” at the first passage below the finish line which marks the start of the first of 8 climbs towards the GPM in San Paolo area. The compact flagship group heads up the climb in pursuit of the fugitives, forcing the pace to resume the escape and even before the transition to the GPM the gap drops to 1’55”.
At the second top of the hill the group accelerates and reduces the gap to 2’21”, but the force of the fugitives does not decrease, and their advantage will once again be around 3 minutes when passing the TV straight. At the beginning of the 6th lap from the end of the race, Peyrot’s bib breaks away from the group of escapees, when the bulk of the group passes at 3’23”.
5 laps from the finish line 32, Lorenzo Masciarelli – Team MBH leaves the group and takes the lead, when the bulk of the still compact group is over 3’50” further away.
With 63 km to go, the athletes move at an average of 44.24 km/h: Masciarelli’s climb continues steadily: after passing Peyrot, at the top of the hill he moves to 1’25” behind the leaders, the group marches compactly at 3’18”.
With 4 laps to go, Masciarelli’s solo ride continues as he passes through the TV area 1’10” from the head of the race, the vanguard of the group, who proceeds without major jolts while continuing to study himself, finds himself 2’40” from the fugitives.
The fifth ascent towards San Paolo is fatal for ridge 41 Scarpelli, who loses the wheels of his escape companions. Behind them, Masciarelli’s progression does not stop, while the vanguard group is 2’35”.
At kilometer 132 of the race, just over three hours after the start of the race, the Masciarelli and Scarpelli tandem found themselves 26″ behind the leading 12, the vanguard of the accelerating group was 1’45”.
About 30 kilometers from the finish line the race heats up, skirmishes begin between the leading 12 and the pace picks up again, while behind them the pair of immediate pursuers lose a few seconds with the vanguard of the group shortening the distance meter by meter reaching 1’14”.
With two laps to go, with an average of 42.43 km/h, 12 are still leading the race, while the group’s comeback begins, reaching 1’05”.
A few drops of rain accompanies the penultimate climb towards the GPM area of San Paolo for the 12 leaders of the race, Zamperini is the first to force the pace, while the compact group behind them shortens the distance to 55”.
At the penultimate pass in the GPM area, Federico Biagini, back 2, slips away from the vanguard of the groupwhich runs with a delay of 1’19”, to move to just 39” from the pacesetters.
When the head of the group is now in sight of the start of the last lap before the arrival, the balance between the pacesetters is definitively broken, and on the straight Lock-Zalf tries to break away, while behind them, Biagini passes into the area finish line at 32”, the group at 1’31”.
Conforti was stopped by cramps on the last climb, and Bozicevich also broke away from the wheels of his breakaway companions.
Zamperini breaks the deadlock with less than 9km to go and gets in front of the 8 still on the run. At minus 8, Pezzo Rosola instead gains a few metres, while Biagini’s progression continues.
Now there are only 7 left in front of everyone and it is in the last 5 kilometers that this 52nd Peace Cup will be decided.
With 2 km to go there are still 7 of them in the lead and behind them there are 10 direct pursuers at 50″. The study phase continues in the leading group, even when they enter the straight that leads to the finish line for the last time.
After a breakaway of over 130 m after 4 hours of racing with an average of 42.3 km/h, 500 meters from the finish line Pezzo Rosola – General Store, launches the sprint and wins the 52nd Peace Cup alone, behind him at the photo finish he wins the second Stedman Q36.5, third Peschi again General Store.
The competition also offers the trophy reserved for the points classification for the flying finishes, dedicated to Bruno Anelli who sees Bozicevich Matteo Lapo – Hopplà Petroli Firenze Don Camillo on the podium, followed by Lock of Zalf Euromobil Fior and Riccardo Lorello also of Hopplà.
The points classification for the GPM is won by the name of Gino Mondaini, Dennis Lock-Zalf, second Bozicevich – Hopplà, third Muniz Vazquez – Petrolike
Pedale Riminese, Polisportiva Sant’Ermete and Famiglia Anelli, organizers of the event, would like to sincerely thank all the teams present. They extend special thanks to the volunteers, institutions and sponsors, the police, first aid personnel, technicians and escorts who ensure the safety of all participants and spectators along the route and the smooth running of the competition . A round of applause to the fans who did not fail to show their warmth and to all the citizens of the centers crossed for the collaboration. See you all at the 2025 edition of the Peace Cup.
In the attached pdf, the order of arrival
