The news broke a few days ago. On the first weekend after the Immaculate Conception, therefore 11-12 December, the World Cup cyclocross will return to ItalyHe will do so in an unusual location for the specialty, Vermiglio in Val di Sole, which has a very close relationship with the bike, having hosted the great mountain bike circus several timesThe initiative started in the local area to relaunch tourism after two years of setbacks caused by Covid, so to find out more we went directly to the source, talking with Fabio Sacco, General Manager of Visit Val di Sole.
The days in those parts are currently quite confusing and hectic, given that the Napoli Calcio training camp has just opened and the increase in… traffic has not gone unnoticed.
«Sport – he says – is a driving force here and the discussion of events related to two wheels is crucial for the tourism product. This is the case with mountain biking and we hope the same is true for cyclocross. Vermiglio has already hosted trials events, but for a couple of years now we got closer to theUCI and Flanders Classic, which manages the Cross Country World Cup, to seek greater visibility».
How did it go?
They made us a very specific request: have a mountain location where you can create a route that includes snow in some sections, to add an element of spectacle to the race. Cross is getting closer to the gravel world, they told us. So the idea of our Flemish friends, which we fully understood, is to create a permanent route, which can also be used outside of the December race. To have, for example, in the summer too, cross enthusiasts who come to our trails with their gravel bikes.
Why this connection with the “Flemish friends”?
Why The Belgian market is very important for Val di Sole, in summer and winterThe basic idea is that an exchange takes place, a sort of transfer between the cross-country public and the skiers' public. Having skiers who travel to follow the cross-country race and cross-country enthusiasts who then stay to ski. The timing, among other things, is crucial.
Cross-country skiing in the snow is certainly spectacular, but even better in the sun. Here, Nalles (photo by Billiani) However, the Vermiglio route could be partially snowed in (photo Billiani) Still in Nalles, with Silvia Persico (photo Billiani)
Cross-country skiing in the snow is certainly spectacular, but even better in the sun. Here, Nalles (photo by Billiani) However, the Vermiglio route could be partially snowed in (photo Billiani) Still in Nalles, with Silvia Persico (photo Billiani)
That means?
The season usually opens on the weekend of the Immaculate Conception, so Pushing hard with events is the best way to get going towards Christmas.
Returning to cyclocross, who will design the course?
At the right time, the technicians from Flanders Classics will come down to create a trackWe will let ourselves be guided, but we will obviously offer our contribution.
Have you already identified the area?
We will compete In the Vermiglio lakes area. There's the river, the wooden bridges, and the cross-country ski trail. (in the opening photo by Apt Val di Sole, ed.) There's a paved road for the arrival and departure, and we can then add artificial obstacles. There won't be any problems with snow. Even if the season is dry, thanks to the cross-country ski trails, we will be able to arrange artificial snow.
Will there be test events or trial races on the course?
I don't think so, the appointment is for December.
We've talked about Christmas: the last two have been very slow. How important is such a restart to breathe new life into the area?
Very important. We have the support of the Province of Trento, and the APT (Tourist Tourist Board) and the managers of the ski lifts and hoteliers of Tonale are also involved in organizing the event. We all want and need to start again.
