PHOTO: The Italian National Champion Gerhard Kerschbaumer in action at 2018 Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race - (Credits: Michele Mondini). Free usage granted with credits. Click on the image to download.

The special technical competition for the youth categories within the 19th Marlene Südtirol Sunshine Race starts tomorrow on Saturday, April 13th. This will be an interesting preview of the 2019 “hors catégorie” Internazionali d’Italia Series stage 2 which on Sunday, April 14th awaits a prestigious, World-Cup-like starting field in Nals, Bozen (Italy).

Italian Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Torpado-Ursus) and Ukrainian Yana Belomoina (Team CST Sandd Befang) will hang #1 number in Men’s Open and Women’s Open, respectively.

The Italian national champion is feeling good and hopes to conquer his first career’s win in his home race. “It’s the beginning of the season and the allergy is not influencing me as much as in the past, so I am performing quite ok. I am not in my top condition yet, but I want to do my best for the local fans”, “Gery” said.

Belomoina, the queen of the 2017 World Cup, aims for the top place on the podium in a race which fits her perfectly. “I love Nals and Italy: it is well organised and people love our discipline. Our team is very competitive, I want the podium and I hope to get on it with my teammate Anne Tauber”.

On one hand, Kerschbaumer will face Maxime Marotte and Manuel Fumic (Cannondale Factory Racing), Luca Braidot (CS Carabinieri-Cicli Olympia-Vittoria), Jordan Sarrou (Absolute-Absalon) and the leader of Internazionali d’Italia Series Stephane Tempier (Bianchi-Countervail), who won the Andora Race Cup and the hors catégorie in Haiming last week. On the other side, Belomoina and Tauber will fight against Team Ghost Factory Racing led by Sina Frei, the latest winner in Nals, and the 2018 champion of Internazionali d’Italia Series Marika Tovo. The Superior XC Team duo by Swiss Linda Indergand and Czech Karla Stepanova is not to be underestimated.

Tomorrow, on Saturday April 13th, the technical competition takes place: Cadets race from 11 to 15 CET, Rookies race from 13 to 17 CET. Internazionali d’Italia Series’ schedule plans Women’s Cadets and Rookies races on Sunday, April 14th at 8.30 CET, followed by Men’s Cadets (9.15 CET), Men’s Rookies (10 CET), Men’s Junior (11.15), Women’s Open and Juniores (13 CET) and Men’s Open (15 CET).

Verona (Italy), April 12th, 2019