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TROFEO CIOLO 2021: VICTORIES FOR MAMU AND NJERU AT THE WMRA WORLD CUP
TROFEO CIOLO 2021: VICTORIES FOR MAMU AND NJERU AT THE WMRA WORLD CUP. The 11th stage of this 2021 WMRA World Cup traveled last weekend to Gagliano del Capo, Apulia, Italy.This stage of the WMRA World Cup head to a completely different venue, unlike any other on the circuit.
Stage 11 of this year’s World Cup took us to a venue with a difference! Instead of a traditional mountain setting, Trofeo Ciolo takes place on the coast in Puglia, right down in the heel of Italy. But ‘different’ definitely doesn’t equal ‘easier’ here because this 11.7km course packs 640m of ascent and 518m of descent in almost continual climbing and descending on technical, rugged paths.
WMRA WORLD CUP 2021: TROFEO CIOLO, 11,7KM 640M+
26TH SEPT., GACLIANO DEL CAPO, ITALY
On the start line we had current World Cup leaders, Charlotte Morgan (GBR) and Henri Aymonod (ITA). In both the men’s and women’s races top fields were assembled including: Petro Mamu (ERI); Geoffrey Ndungu (KEN); Alex Baldaccini (ITA); Alberto Vender (ITA); Sandor Szabo (HUN); Joyce Njeru (KEN); Lucy Murigi (KEN); Alice Gaggi (ITA); and Alessia Scaina (ITA).
As a taste of what was to come the race started with a steep, short uphill, which immediately started to spread out the field of runners. Because this first climb was on a narrow path the organisers set the women’s off 5 minutes ahead of the men, to ensure that all the women were through this first section before the first men came through. With the rest of the course being wider and allowing for easier overtaking, this measure made sure that nobody’s race was disrupted.
In the women’s race it was Njeru and Murigi who struck out from the start. By the 5km point they had opened up a small lead over Gaggi (+50sec), Scaina (+1min 25sec) and Morgan (+1min 45sec). Before the start Morgan, who sustained cuts and bruises from falls in winning our last World Cup race at Canfranc-Canfranc (long race), declared that she was fully recovered from these superficial injuries and that 11km was a bit short for her, but she was going to ‘give it a go’. In the early stages she was as good as her word and staying in touch with the leaders.
For the men the top 5 were slightly closer at the same point. Mamu led it out from the start but hot on his heels were Vender, Ndungu, Baldaccini and Daniel Pattis (ITA), with around 15 seconds separating them. It looked like it was going to be a very close competition.
At the famous Ponte Ciolo at the 10km point we waited to see how the preceding 5km of rocky undulations had shaken up the field. Njeru came through first for the women, but Murigi was just 5 seconds behind her, with a bigger gap back to Gaggi and Scaini. Mamu had stretched out a lead of 50 seconds for the men, with Baldaccini, Vender and Ndungu leading the chase with just 1km to go!
Coming into the line first, (bearing in mind just over 6 minutes difference in start time in the end) it was Mamu who took the men’s win (50.22) and Njeru was just behind him, winning the women’s race (57.12). Murigi was only 9 seconds behind Njeru (57.21) and Gaggi completed the women’s podium 4 minutes behind in 1.01.17. The men’s runner up was Ndungu (51.19), with Baldaccini in 3rd (51.23).
WMRA WORLD CUP 2021 CALENDAR
Summary 2021 World Cup key facts:
8 Countries
12 Event locations
16 Races in 3 categories
10,000+ Participants
CALENDAR
- 1-OCT Broken Arrow short uphill race – Palisades Tahoe, USA
- 3-OCT Broken Arrow long mountain race (26k) – Palisades Tahoe, USA
- 3-OCT Zumaia Flysch Trail will give the winners of Classic and Long Mountain. There will be a Long Mountain over 42k/+3000m, and also a Classic with 22k/+850m ascent. http://www.zumaiaflyschtrail.com
- 10-OCT Vertical Kilometer Chiavenna-Lagunac will give Uphill champion. This classic of Italian mountain racing has already been a WMRA-affiliated race and is known as the “vertical race of records” with a 3.2k/+1,000m trace its conditions are perfect for breaking the world record. http://www.kilometroverticalelagunc.it
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