In Antillo the oldest mountain bike race in Sicily, Venuti from Messina wins – Gazzetta Jonica

Nicola Venuti from Messina was the winner of the 22nd edition of the Granfondo Enerwolf, the oldest mountain bike race in Sicily which started this year from the multipurpose sports center of Antillo. The race, organized by President Carmelo Miuccio’s Asd Enerwolf, was attended by 61 athletes who challenged themselves in the ‘Mediofondo’ and ‘Granfondo’ categories on a route that this year too has given no respite.

The difficult weather conditions did not favor participation in the race, sponsored by Csain and valid as the third round of the Openspeed circuit and the first of the Italian regions in the cycling sector.

The overall ranking. He was the favorite on the eve of the 43.7 km route with a difference in altitude of 1487 metres, a prediction respected: Nicola Venuti – senior1/M1 category – covered the distance of the long lap in 1h 55 minutes and 48 seconds (Bike Marino Messina). Second overall was Giuseppe Sofia (Junior/El-sport category), registered for the Special Bikers, who finished five minutes and 19 seconds behind the winner. Third overall Paolo Vecchio – Veterans 2/M4 category capable of getting on the podium thanks to an important test culminating with a time of 2 hours and 2 minutes. The other competitors who completed the Top Ten were further behind: fourth place for Francesco Di Bella (Junior, Bike Marino), who reached 9′ and 47”; fifth Andrea Russo (Junior/Enerwolf) who finished three seconds later; sixth Giuseppe Chiarenza (Senior/M2, Driz Bikers 3000), almost close to Russo in the final; seventh Salvatore Lo Faro (Junior; Velo Club); eighth Dario Parisi (Senior/M2, Bike Marino); ninth Stefano Legato (Veterans 1/M3; Velo Club); tenth Gianluca D’Amico (Senior 2/M2; Bike 1275)

Middle distance. The first place in the medium distance – 33 km and 600 meters with a height difference of 950 meters – was Antonino De Marco (Team Bike del Tirreno), Debutants, who ran the distance in 1h 47 minutes. Following in the final ranking are Giovanni Zappalà (SuperG/M7, registered for Bike 1275) and Giovanni Pietropaolo in the M7 category of Team B Em Race. Francesca Maria Rigano, a member of the organizing company, won by completing the route in 2 hours and 26 minutes. E-bike cyclists are also competing. Bartolomeo La Cava (Team Bike del Tirreno) won in one hour and 11 minutes, being the first to cross the finish line of the day, ahead of Salvatore Torrisi.

Society. Twenty-two companies are at the start. The victory in the special classification went to Bike Marino Messina with 85 points, followed by Bike 1275 with 68 points. The podium is completed by Enerwolf with 39, which preceded Team Bike del Tirreno by just one point. The Special Bikers completes the Top Five with 22 points.