He was the favorite, and he didn't disappoint. With temperatures nearing 30 degrees Celsius, Fabian Rabensteiner claimed the Italian Marathon Championship on the course in Letojanni (Messina), bringing another prestigious jersey to the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team for the rest of the season.
On the 76 km course with a total elevation gain of 2700 meters, divided into a more challenging first part and a smoother second part, the South Tyrolean rider took control of the race from the very beginning, proving once again that he is in excellent form. Fresh from his victory in the first World Cup round in Nove Mesto, Rabensteiner brought the same energy to Sicily, just a few steps from Taormina.
In the end, the experienced Wilier-Vittoria athlete finished 1’33” ahead of Gioele De Cosmo and 1’39” ahead of his teammate Samuele Porro, who repeated his podium finish from the Czech Republic and once again proved to be an excellent team player, protecting Fabian on the attack.
This marks Rabensteiner's third Italian title, adding to a career (and a season) increasingly filled with results. "After a year, I am really happy to have won this beautiful Tricolore jersey again," he said. "The heat was a factor. In the early stages of the race, Ragnoli tried to make a difference on the climb; I stayed a few meters behind him, and then on the descent, I managed to catch him twice. Then, when I created a small gap, I didn't look back and kept pushing forward. In the final stretch, with a lead of over two minutes, I was even able to slow down a bit and enjoy the last pedal strokes. It was a great day.”
"At the start, we did well to prevent Ragnoli from breaking away, and when Fabian managed to get ahead on the second descent, my job was simply to stay passive and let De Cosmo take on the chase," said Porro, who has won 5 Italian championships. "With Fabian gaining seconds, my race was practically over. Nonetheless, my form remains more than good."
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