Not an April Fool's joke: 12th Marlene Sunshine Race on April 1st in Nals

The “12th Marlene Sunshine Race” will take place on Sunday, April 1st in Nals. “It is certainly the best mountain bike race in Italy this year and therefore offers a great incentive for all athletes,” said OC boss Pallweber. The classic event is part of the “Internazionali d’Italia” racing series for the seventh time and this year is the only race in Italy to celebrate its debut in the Austrian mountain bike league.

The stars of the event are the Olympic champion, multiple world champion and three-time overall World Cup winner Gunn-Rita Dahle from Norway and the Olympic silver medalist from Athens 2004, three-time world champion, four-time European champion and five-time Spanish champion José Antonio Hermida.

The other favorites include the 2010 overall World Cup winner Elisabeth Osl from Austria, last year's winner Tanja Zakelj from Slovenia and her compatriot Blaza Klemencic. In addition to Hermida, the men's race includes two-time Spanish winner and crowd favorite Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez, Italian champion Marco Aurelio Fontana and last year's winner Tony Longo.

From a South Tyrolean perspective, the participation of Gerhard Kerschbaumer (two-time world champion), Eva Lechner (World Cup medalist and Italian champion), Maximilian Vieider (vice-European champion, national and Italian champion and three-time winner of the Internazionali d'Italia) and Judith Pollinger (fifth place) is important at the race in Nals last year).

Gerhard Kerschbaumer from Verdings will face the Austrian Alexander Gehbauer in the race, who he had to admit defeat by six seconds at the start of the World Cup in South Africa. According to Kerschbaumer, his Austrian competitor drove a strong race in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and, above all, demonstrated perseverance throughout the entire route. If this is also the case in Nals, the “Marlene Sunshine Race” will be “a rush”, i.e. a challenge for the young South Tyrolean, according to Verdinner.

The technical director of the mountain bike national team, ex-world champion Hubert Pallhuber, explained that the “Marlene South Tyrol Sunshine Race” is of particular importance because it is about collecting crucial UCI points in order to build up the rider contingent for the Olympic Games to be able to increase the number of men from two to three.

Changes to the route took place in the starting loop “in order to separate the wheat from the chaff right at the start”. Unlike previous years, the loop runs in the opposite direction from the start and measures a total of 1.700 meters. One kilometer of this runs through the forest, where it is easy to overtake and therefore an initial selection can take place. The men have to complete the five kilometer long circuit eight times (total length 41,7 km) and the women five times (total length 26,7 km).

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Not an April Fool's joke: 12th Marlene Sunshine Race on April 1st in Nals

Today, Tuesday, March 20th, OC boss Florian Pallweber invited people to the traditional press conference of the “12th” at the Parkhotel Laurin in Bolzano. Marlene South Tyrol Sunshine Race”, where he provided information about participants, innovations, the program and supporting events.

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