Squadra Azzurra gets the party started at the Walmart UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Fayetteville

Leone, Persico, Bramati and Toneatti won the team relay test event to kick off the 2022 Walmart UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships.

Racing has begun in Fayetteville, Arkansas (USA), and the Italians didn’t take long to show their strength ahead of the offical start of the 2022 Walmart UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. On Friday, Samuele Leone, Silvia Persico, Lucia Bramati and Davide Toneatti powered to victory in the team relay test event in front of Team USA A (Eric Brunner, Katie Clouse, Clara Honsinger and Scott Funston) and Belgium (Daan Soete, Kiona Crabbé, Alicia Franck and Niels Vandeputte).

The new format, tried for the first time at the UCI Cyclo-cross Worlds, follows the similar and immensely popular relay event for mountain bike cross-country Olympic (XCO) which has been part of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships since 1999. It produced intense racing, with many changes in the lead depending on the strengths and tactics of the teams.

“It’s a great emotion to win this first with my teammates,” Toneatti celebrated. His fellow member of the winning quartet, Persico added: “Today I was feeling good. The course is hard and I’m really happy to win this test event.”

An intense format

The format of the race was adapted to take into account the difficulties raised by the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of six riders covering a lap each, seven teams (Belgium, Canada A, Canada B, Czech Republic, Italy, USA A and USA B) each fielded four participants: one Woman Junior or Woman Under 23, one Woman Under 23 or Woman Elite , one Man Junior or Man Under 23, and one Man Under 23 or Man Elite.

The teams decided in which order their riders would go and the first winners of the Fayetteville event were crowned after four laps of the 3.1km circuit that will see six rainbow jerseys awarded on Saturday and Sunday in the individual races.

Czechs go for the upset

After a strong start by Italy’s Samuele Leone (Man Under 23), Belgium’s Daan Soete (Man Elite) took the lead in the first lap. As he passed the reins to Kiona Crabbé (Woman Under 23), USA A were trailing by 8’’, just ahead of the Italian team (+11’’).

The Czechs were at the back, but they were following a different strategy, allowing Michael Boroš (Man Elite) to quickly bridge the gap. The five-time National Elite Czech Cyclo-cross Champion made a mistake on a hill, but he still managed to finish his lap with a 6’’ lead over Italy’s Silvia Persico (Woman Elite). Half a minute behind, the American Katie Clouse (Woman Under 23) was just ahead of Crabbé.

Americans and Italians power to the front

Local riders were shining under the sun. Clara Honsinger (Woman Elite) caught up with Italy’s Lucia Bramati (Woman Under 23) and almost bridged the gap to Kristýna Zemanová, who maintained a very small lead for the Czech Republic as she handed over to the experienced and successful Katerina Nash (Woman Elite).

The leading trio were only separated by 3’’ as they went into the final lap. Nils Vandeputte (Man Under 23) was 19’’ behind, making it a very difficult mission to put Belgium on the podium.

Toneatti seals the deal

Still, the Under-23 European Championships silver-medallist produced a brave performance to take 3rd place, showing his strength ahead of his individual race, on Saturday. But Davide Toneatti (Man Under 23) was untouchable.

The young Italian powered away from Scott Funston (Man Under 23) in the second part of the course who took second place for the USA. Nash couldn’t resist the pace to fight for the podium.

The young members of the Squadra Azzurra (Persico is the most experienced of them at 24 years old) were all smiles as they fell in each others’ arms. More opportunities to shine await them over the weekend.