Presented the ninth edition of the Valtellina Wine Trail
Three thousand athletes, 3 races, 400 volunteers and 11 municipalities crossed: Valtellina Wine Trail, in its ninth edition, scheduled for Saturday, November 12, confirms itself as an event with great numbers, as well as one of the few in Italian trail running to offer a route that winds through rows of vines and enters wine cellars. A combination of sports and food and wine to seal a pact with the territory, which has strengthened year after year, and the opportunity to promote not only the beauty of the landscape but also the excellence of food and wine, starting with the wine that connotes the event from the name to the route. Confirmed are the 42-, 21- and 12-kilometer races, in which athletes and fans from 25 countries will participate. Valtellina Wine Trail, which sees Salumificio Rigamonti as title sponsor, is much more than a trail race: its communicative power allows it to aggregate and promote the territory. Among the firsts it also boasts are sold-out hotels and B&Bs in and around Sondrio: no room has been found for weeks on race days.
The ninth edition keeps Sondrio as its center: in Piazza Garibaldi, the finish line for all three distances, the podium for the awards ceremony and the participant reception area will be set up, which will also host the Valtellina Wine Trail Party, starting at 7 p.m. A technical Expo with the best brands in the industry will be present, and athletes, as is tradition, will be able to eat pizzoccheri strictly scarrellati by hand. Eleven municipalities will be involved: in addition to Sondrio, Tirano, Villa di Tirano, Bianzone, Teglio, Chiuro, Ponte in Valtellina, Tresivio, Poggiridenti, Montagna in Valtellina and Castione. Athletes will reach Valtellina at least one day in advance as bibs will be distributed only on Thursday, Nov. 10, and Friday, Nov. 11. On race day, Saturday, Nov. 12, the starts are scheduled at 10 a.m. for the 42-kilometer race, the Valtellina Wine Trail, in Tirano, and for the 12-kilometer race, the Sassella Trail, in Castione Andevenno, while the start for the 21-kilometer race, the Valtellina Half Wine Trail, will be given at 11 a.m. in Chiuro. The 2022 edition includes the debut of the non-competitive trail for joëlette, the special off-road wheelchair, with the Dappertutto association: 3.5 kilometers starting from Mossini and finishing in Sondrio. Also planned is the presence of athletes with disabilities from the "Team 3 Legs in Shoulder" association. Saturday's race day will be preceded, on Friday, Nov. 11, at 3:30 p.m., by the Mini Wine Trail, organized in collaboration with Csi Tirano and under the patronage of the Municipality of Tirano, reserved for children and young people aged 6 to 17. Coordinating the organizational machine is a team of sports enthusiasts, starting with the creator of Valtellina Wine Trail, Marco De Gasperi, with Michele Rigamonti, Emanuele Manzi and president Simone Bertini.
The event can count on the support of public bodies: the Lombardy Region, the Province of Sondrio, the Sondrio Chamber of Commerce, Bim and the Sondrio Municipality. For the third year, Salumificio Rigamonti, a leading bresaola producer, is title sponsor and associates its name with that of Valtellina Wine Trail. Sponsors include Scarpa, Valtellina-based Crazy, Consorzio Tutela Vini di Valtellina, Edison and Crédit Agricole Italia.
Simone Bertini, President Valtellina Wine Trail.
≪After last year's comeback, this for the Wine Trail will be the real restart: the record number of registrations represents the first success of the 2022 edition because it confirms how much the race is appreciated by the athletes and fans who from all over the world reach Valtellina to participate. As organizers we want to share our satisfaction with the public bodies, associations and companies that support us and with the 400 volunteers who support us. We hope to see an exciting event in which the values of sport and the beauty and peculiarities of our territory that we are proud to show≫ will prevail.
Michele Diasio, Councillor for Tourism and Sport of the Municipality of Sondrio
≪The growth of this event demonstrates the foresight of those who conceived it ten years ago: the Valtellina Wine Trail is a unique race that athletes from all over the world have appreciated since the first editions and that they have helped to make known to other participants. A celebration of sport but also an extraordinary opportunity to promote Sondrio and the entire provincial territory: the city will be ready by reserving for the athletes and those who will accompany them the warmest welcome with the hope that the experience will convince them to return. As a municipal administration we are grateful to the organizers for devising spectacular routes among the vineyards that will bring out all the beauty of our territory≫.
Claudio Palladi, CEO of Rigamonti
≪We are renewing again this year our participation as title sponsor in an event that we consider key for the area, which combines sports, food and wine and tourism. Ours is a long-term vision: we want to ensure continuity to events in areas that are strategic for us and at the same time be close to an extraordinary place like Valtellina, which remains our headquarters of choice, on which we are continuing, and will continue, to invest≫.
Marco De Gasperi, brand manager trail running at Scarpa
≪The collaboration with the Valtellina Wine Trail represents for Scarpa the ideal conclusion to a very busy season of Trail Running events. The combination of running and the food and wine excellence of the area is favorable for expanding the range of participants from other sports as well, encouraging the approach to a sport that is inclusive and eco-sustainable, which fully represent the values of Scarpa≫.
Federico Cantoni, Sport Club and Event Manager at Crazy
≪Thanks to the excellent work and successful collaboration with the Wine trail group in the last edition, we are very happy to be a partner in this adventure again this year. Crazy is the company that created the first skyrunning outfit always following the Fast & Light philosophy. To be able to represent a race in which our area is the protagonist, where Crazy and the Fast & Light spirit have grown, for us today is a source of pride≫.
Marco Stangalino, Executive Vice President Power Asset at Edison.
≪Edison is proud to support again this year the Valtellina Wine Trail, an initiative under the banner of sport, local tradition and culture. This partnership is an expression of our willingness to contribute to the social development and enhancement of the territories that host our plants and where we produce renewable energy while respecting the objectives of sustainability and environmental protection≫.
Umberto Colli, Head of the North Lombardy Regional Management of Crédit Agricole Italia
≪Crédit Agricole Italia is proud to be a sponsor of the Valtellina Wine Trail, which represents an important opportunity to remark the bank's support to the territory also through a sporting event that combines competition with the enhancement of the province of Sondrio and its products of excellence. The presence at this event also highlights the bank's commitment to the agri-food chain, a sector that we support through the provision of dedicated products and financing and with an internal structure across the Group's Banks and commercial channels that has the task of defining the strategy on agriculture, agri-food and energy≫.