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- Introduction;
- Race Report;
- Behind the Scenes – The Speaker’s Control Room;
- The Post-Race – Interviews, Awards Ceremony, Acknowledgements;
- Conclusion – Upcoming Events.
1. Introduction
The second edition of the Gran Fondo del Syrah has brilliantly established itself as an increasingly important event on the national Mountain bike scene. The Event, which brought life to the picturesque roads and trails of Tavarnelle di Cortona (AR), represented a fundamental crossroads for four Circuits: the Appennino Superbike, the MTB Tour Toscana, the Umbria Tuscany MTB, and the Prestigio MTB Magazine.
The day began with a crisp breeze, typical of early April mornings, but the anticipation and vibrant energy of the participants soon warmed the atmosphere. As the first rays of sunshine peeked through the Tuscan hills, the temperature gradually rose, creating ideal conditions to tackle the technically challenging routes. The enthusiasm was contagious from the moments before lining up at the starting grid, where one could feel the joy of gathering to celebrate the shared passion for Mountain biking and to experience a unique event in the heart of the Syrah Cortona land.
A particularly touching and significant moment preceded the long-awaited start. The Municipal Administration of Cortona wanted to dedicate a thought to the recent World Autism Awareness Day, celebrated on April 2nd, with a delicate and symbolic release of blue balloons into the sky. This gesture, full of meaning and sensitivity, added a note of reflection and unity to the sporting atmosphere of the Event.
As for me, returning to the microphone to narrate the emotions of the Gran Fondo del Syrah for the second consecutive year was a source of great joy and a true privilege. The entire weekend dedicated to Mountain biking, which began with the thrilling XCO Top Class competitions on Saturday featuring the young talents of the Esordienti and Allievi categories, and culminated with the Gran Fondo on Sunday, allowed me to fully immerse myself in the spirit of this Event, rediscovering the warmth of the passionate audience and the contagious energy of the athletes ready to give their all. Back to Menu
2. Race Report
2.1 Saturday’s Highlights: XCO Top Class Esordienti (Boys-Girls 13/14), Allievi (Boys-Girls 15/16)
Saturday was dedicated to the young talents of off-road cycling with the thrilling XCO races. In the Women’s Esordienti 1st year category, Eva Faggioli of GS Avis Pratovecchio secured a determined victory. Among the Men’s Esordienti 1st year, Olmo Budel of UC Donoratico best interpreted the technical course, crossing the finish line solo. In the Men’s Esordienti 2nd year category, Mirko Signorelli of Bikers Petosino Scuola MTB demonstrated great skill. Among the Women’s Allievi 1st year, Gioia Costa of Elba Bike dominated her race. In the Men’s Allievi 1st year, Antonio Cerone of Team Valdinievole ASD best managed his energy for the win, while in the Men’s Allievi 2nd year, Filippo Federici of AC F. Bessi Calenzano Donoratico concluded the day dedicated to young talents in style. These races offered an exciting showcase of the future of Italian mountain biking, creating a festive and competitive atmosphere right from Saturday.
2.2 Gran Fondo Highlights
From the very first climbs, the long ascent towards Monte Sant’Egidio began to thin out the group. Stefano Valdrighi (Bottecchia Factory Team), eager to repeat his success from the previous year, set a high pace, forcing his rivals to chase. He carefully followed the dynamics of the race, noting the teamwork of the Rolling Bike Racing Team, with Vincenzo Saitta and Emanuele Spica trying to contain the leader’s action. As Valdrighi himself recounted, he managed to close in on Saitta just a few meters from the KOM (King of the Mountains) point, before launching himself into a technical descent.
The last, decisive climb saw a regrouping with Valdrighi, Saitta, Spica, and, for a stretch, also Giuseppe Panariello. Right on the steepest slopes, Valdrighi launched the decisive attack, exploiting that “launchpad” that had already seen him as a protagonist the previous year. With a powerful acceleration, he gained those meters that allowed him to arrive solo under the finish banner, welcomed by the warm applause of the public.
Behind him, Vincenzo Saitta took second place, confirming the excellent performance of the Rolling Bike Racing Team, as he himself pointed out. Despite an attempt to break away at the top of the first climb, he had to surrender to Valdrighi’s superiority on the final ascent, while remaining satisfied with his performance and what his team had done.
2.3 Women’s Gran Fondo Overall Ranking
The women’s race was also exciting. I closely followed the progress of Elena Teoni (Mtb Race Subbiano), who showed great tenacity and an effective race strategy. Her arrival, with a margin of only 17 seconds over the determined Cristiana Lippi (Ciclissimo Bike), testified to the competitiveness of the event. I announced her time of 2h30’58” with emotion, emphasizing her determination. Anna Rododendro (Elba Bike) completed a podium of high-level athletes.
2.4 Classic Route: Top Three at the Finish Line
Parallel to the Gran Fondo, the Classic route of 27 km and 950 meters of elevation gain offered spectacle and fun. I gladly announced the arrival of Giacomo Chiaverini, who distanced Jesse Gonzi (Soudal Leecougan) and Matteo Pezzo (Vc Lunigiana), who finished second and third respectively. In the women’s Classic race, Maria Gloria Gazzotti (Motoracing) took the victory, preceding Deborah Sanchez (EMP Cycling Team) and Nadia Bedendi (Gs Poppi BP Motion). I tried to highlight their performances as well, emphasizing the commitment of all participants.
2.5 My Perspective as the Speaker
Fortunately, the impeccable organization allowed for a smooth running of the event on both days. I particularly appreciated the precision in adhering to the established program. Regarding Sunday, from the punctual start at 10:00 AM until the conclusion of the awards ceremony at 3:00 PM, everything went according to plan. The comfortable and functional location of the Polisportiva Val di Loreto was a key element, allowing me to manage the audio and communication for the entire event, from the hectic phases of the start and finishes to the celebration of the winners during the awards ceremony, all with the same efficient setup. There were no particular moments of critical management or significant unforeseen events, which testifies to the excellent coordination work of the Team Bike Syrah. Back to Menu
3. Behind the Scenes – The Speaker’s Control Room
My station was the hub for collecting and disseminating information, a nerve center for following every phase of the race. I must admit that the “control room” set up for the Gran Fondo del Syrah is among my favorites, as its strategic location allows me, with a single and functional setup, to optimally cover the three crucial moments of the event: the adrenaline-filled start, the emotional arrival of the competitors, and the well-deserved celebration during the awards ceremony.
3.1 What tools I used for my work as a Speaker
Saturday proved invaluable for optimizing the audio system. I had the opportunity to test the installation using the grandstand adjacent to the “control room,” a logistical novelty compared to the previous edition. This different placement allowed me to refine the strategic positioning of the subwoofers and audio speakers. Thanks to this preliminary test, on Sunday I was able to have a single audio configuration capable of effectively covering the entire event area: from the hectic start phase to the emotional finish line, and up to the celebration of the winners during the awards ceremony.
The audio system I used included:
- Behringer Xenyx QX1204: a compact yet powerful mixer, equipped with integrated effects and a USB interface, which allowed me to manage the sound precisely and to best equalize the different audio sources.
- 2 Shure BLX288 / PG58 M17: two wireless microphone systems that guaranteed excellent vocal performance, essential for the clarity of my announcements and for any interviews with the protagonists.
- Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4: a versatile controller that I used for managing background music and for inserting audio effects that helped create the right atmosphere at different moments of the event.
- Behringer B205D: a compact but effective personal monitor, which allowed me to have constant control over my voice, ensuring clear and intelligible communication for the audience.
- 3 Behringer B1200D Pro: three active subwoofers that added significant depth to the sound, ensuring an engaging sonic impact, especially during key moments such as the start and finish.
- 4 Behringer B115D: four main active speakers, strategically positioned to cover a wide audience area, ensuring that everyone could clearly hear my announcements and the music.
3.2 How I Managed the Flow of Information
The flow of information was managed in close collaboration with the timekeepers, Luciano and Claudio of Pistoia Sport Time, and with the organizers. I received crucial updates in real-time thanks to the timely communications from Luciano Rossi, the President of Team Bike Syrah Cortona. I tried to translate this data into an engaging narrative for the public, anticipating arrivals and commenting on the key moments of the race. The short interviews with the protagonists immediately after their arrival were an effective way to give voice to the athletes and share their emotions with the present audience. For the interviews with the top three overall female athletes of the Gran Fondo, I had the precious collaboration of Simone Pannocchi from iobike, whom I sincerely thank for his support. The final rankings of the event were then published by the timekeepers on the website endu.net. Back to Menu
4. The Post-Race – Interviews, Awards Ceremony, Acknowledgements
The post-race period was a time for celebration and sharing emotions, enriched by the voices of the protagonists who enlivened the competition.
4.1 Interviews with the protagonists
I had the pleasure of gathering the immediate impressions of the following athletes, who shared their emotions and their analysis of the race:
- Giacomo Chiaverini (Polisportiva Michelangelo), overall winner of the Classic Route: “I managed the first part a bit. Then I made a bit of a difference in the upper second part, where the course was a bit more technical. The course is beautiful.” Giacomo’s words emphasize his strategic management of the race and his appreciation for the characteristics of the Classic route.
- Stefano Valdrighi (Bottecchia Factory Team), overall winner of the Gran Fondo del Syrah for the second consecutive year: “I thank the organizers for their hospitality, first of all, because like last year, we lacked nothing. You can always feel their desire to do well. They put on a truly beautiful race, they changed the final a bit, but it’s always tough and the descent is beautiful. Yes, I really wanted to repeat last year’s success. It’s never easy because the opponents are really strong. That last steep climb, like last year, could be a good launchpad, I tried and started in the exact same spot. I managed to gain a few hundred meters. Then on the descent, there was a bit of chaos with the lapped riders, I couldn’t get past. I hoped that those behind would also have problems, because otherwise throwing away a race like that is never good. I’m happy to have arrived here alone and I thank all the sponsors who allow me to be on the race courses every Sunday. The Rolling Bike team was truly excellent. They played a good team game right from the first climb. In fact, I managed to close in on Vincenzo only 100 meters from the KOM. I passed him, I did the descent strong, up to the last point which could also have been a good point to put me in difficulty. I did it strong, then we regrouped in four, including Panariello, who I don’t know what he did in the end. And then we found ourselves on the last climb, team play there too. Then, I repeat, that climb is so hard that legs count more than the team and tactics, I had a bit more and managed to get here alone.” Stefano’s detailed words offer a compelling insight into his race, from the initial strategy to the decisive moment of the attack, without neglecting the difficulties encountered.
- Vincenzo Saitta (Rolling Bike Racing Team), second overall in the Gran Fondo del Syrah: “First of all, good morning everyone. Today was tough. Congratulations to the organizers for this beautiful event. This is my first participation and I really congratulate them. Today, my teammate Emanuele and I played a bit of a team game. At the top I tried to break away, but I couldn’t. Patience, they caught me. Today Valdrighi was really strong. We arrived at the final steep climb, in 4, and Valdrighi accelerated and went away. Then I had some problems with the guys on the short course, we crossed paths a bit, but that’s not an excuse. Today he was really strong, congratulations to him. My teammate finished second and third.” Vincenzo’s statements recognize the strength of his opponent and emphasize the team tactics adopted, offering a sporting analysis of the competition.
4.2 The celebratory moments of the Awards Ceremony
The awards ceremony began punctually at 1:30 PM, strictly following the established program. The ceremony opened with the awarding of the athletes of the Classic Route and with a significant moment for the MTB Tour Toscana: the presentation of the Leader jerseys. This year, the circuit introduced the awarding of the overall male and female Leader jerseys for both routes (Classic and Gran Fondo) at the end of each individual event, while the jerseys for the Category Leaders will be awarded and worn during the grand final awards ceremony at the end of the season.
Regarding the Classic Route, the top five finishers in each category were awarded, recognizing the commitment and performance of a large number of athletes. The ceremony then continued with the awards for the Gran Fondo Route, which concluded the rich day at 3:00 PM, also celebrating the top five in each category in this case.
A special moment preceded the complete awards ceremony: immediately after the arrival of the top three overall athletes of both routes, the traditional “Flower Ceremony” took place, an opportunity to immediately honor the outstanding performances.
During the Awards Ceremony for both Routes, the Category Leader jerseys for the Umbria Tuscany MTB Circuit were also awarded, thus establishing the leaders of this exciting competition after the second event of 2025.
4.3 A special thanks to the organizers
I would like to renew a special thanks to Team Bike Syrah for their dedication, their professionalism, and the passion they put into organizing events of this level. Their commitment is the real key to the success of the Gran Fondo del Syrah. Back to Menu
5. Conclusion – Upcoming Events
The second edition of the Gran Fondo del Syrah has confirmed itself as a highly successful event, capable of uniting competition, passion, and the beauty of the Cortona territory, a jewel in the crown of beautiful Tuscany. From the evocative start with the release of blue balloons, passing through the challenges on the technical Syrah trails, up to the well-deserved awards ceremonies, this edition has left an indelible mark. As the speaker, I had the privilege of narrating every emotion, experiencing firsthand the passion of athletes and the public. The success of this event is the result of impeccable organization and the synergy between all the protagonists.
5.1 Upcoming Scheduled Events: April 2025
April 13, 2025
31st Sinalunga Bike 2025, Sinalunga (SI)
- 1st round Tour 3 Regioni MTB
- 3rd round Umbria Tuscany MTB
- 3rd round Maremma Tosco Laziole MTB
- 4th round Toscana MTB
April 19, 20, 21, 2025
2nd Toscana Cup, San Vincenzo (LI)
International youth football tournament
May 2nd, 2025
Castello Di Magrano, Fraz. Carbonesca, Gubbio (PG)
Audio service, Private event.
May 4th, 2025
15° Gran Fondo San Pellegrino, Gualdo Tadino (PG)
3rd round of Umbria Marathon MTB
See you at the next race, thank you all! Back to Menu
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Tag: Appennino Superbike, Arezzo, Audio, Cortona, Gran Fondo del Syrah, Mountain bike, Prestigio MTB Magazine, Speaker, Sports Events, Toscana, Umbria Tuscany MTB.
