This weekend, two rounds of the Italian Cup were held in the enchanting Primiero Valley: a sprint in Mezzano and a long race in Passo Cereda.
On Saturday, the village’s intricate historical centre (named one of Italy’s most beautiful villages in 2010) tested competitors’ technique and reading speed, providing a challenging yet entertaining experience. It was essential to read the map carefully, estimate distances accurately, and not get lost in the maze of houses.
Two first-place female podiums stood out among the results: Jessica Lucchetta won the overall category, ahead of Maddalena De Biasi and Guenda Zaffanella, another of our elite competitors. Jessica says: “A truly meaningful victory, I’m very pleased with my performance! It was crucial to stay focused from start to finish: the mind came first, and the legs followed.”
Katiuscia Sibiglia also experienced great satisfaction after winning the W45 category. Her post-race comment was, “Running and map reading were perfectly synchronised. No mistakes, constant concentration until the last metre. I’m satisfied with the result, but even more so with the performance.”
The results did not end there. Celeste Pretto‘s third place in the W18 category is also worthy of mention: she was only six seconds away from victory. The junior athlete started out with no expectations, aiming only to run a clean race, and was certainly successful.
Annarita Scalzotto also made a comeback. Despite having done little training, she managed to finish the race in seventh place, just 47 seconds behind her teammate Jessica.
The results for the men were a little more muted. Francesco Scalzotto came fourth in the M18 category, while Fabio Amadesi and Marco Anselmo Di Stefano came eighth and PM respectively (Marco’s time would have earned him fifth place). Pierantonio Pretto took ninth place, but redeemed himself the following day.
On Sunday, the long-distance race took place in Passo Cereda. It was a technical course with long stretches along the coast alternating with short sections requiring precision and attention to detail, making it a physically demanding race.
Pierantonio Pretto‘s third place in M55 stands out among the results. Francesco Scalzotto took fourth place again in M18. Among the women, Guenda Zaffanella‘s sixth place was the closest anyone came to the podium.
Team manager Gabriele Viale commented on the team’s weekend: “I saw some promising signs this weekend, particularly from the women’s team. Jessica and Guenda demonstrated their strong form. The girls are proving that they can compete in all disciplines — Long, Middle and Sprint — at a national level.”
The next event is the Coppa Italia on Monte Baldo on 7 and 8 June, organised by our team.
See you there!