The eighth edition of the Brazil Ride (scheduled from 14 to 21 of October on Discovery Coast in South Bahia) will have a constellation of mountain bike stars for the most important marathon stage race in the Americas. Among the 500 participants who will be riding between Arraial d’Ajuda in Porto Seguro and Guaratinga there will be almost 20 cyclists from nine countries, bringing to Brazil your résumés full of national and international achievements such as world and continental titles and even the Olympics. The biggest example is MTB legend, Atlanta-96 gold medalist and 1995 World champion Bart Brentjens.
Brentjens is set for the 2017 Brazil Ride.
In addition to Bart Brentjens, 18 more cyclists make up this select group of confirmed stars. Brazil’s list includes Abraão Azevedo, Halysson Ferreira, Henrique Avancini, Hugo Prado Neto, Raiza Goulão and Ricardo Pscheidt, six Brazilian champions. Among Portuguese riders, national champions Celina Carpinteiro and Luis Leão Pinto are confirmed, as well as Tiago Ferreira, world and European champion. Another outstanding Dutch national champion Hans Becking, who is also a two times Brasil Ride winner.
From Austria, European and world Indoor MTB champion Wolfgang Kren is confirmed for his fourth Brasil Ride. Brazilian Raíza Goulão will have young Margot Moschetti as a partner. She comes to Brazil with two junior French titles and a junior European championship.
Three-time Chilean champion Pilar Covalan (competing with Ana Luisa Panini), two-time Italian marathon champion Samuelle Porro (riding with current Brasil Ride champion Fabian Rabensteiner), 24-hour World Champion Sonya Looney, US and Ultra Endurance Series champion Gordon Wadsworth, UCI Junior Series champion Sebastian Carstensen and two-time Danish champion Soren Nissen completes the “team of champions”.
Champion team seeks another Brazil Ride title
Team Trek Selle San Marco returns to the Discovery Coast ready to defend last year title. Fabian Rabensteiner and Samuelle Porro will again ride together, a partnership that is always among the favourites for the title.
Recently confirmed duo – The recently formed partnership of Henrique Avancini and Jiri Novak promises to make some noise. In addition to a great curriculum in the Brazil Ride of the Americas (Avancini is 2103 champion and and Novak has two titles), the Brazilian is fresh from making history for Brazil’s MTB: his 4th place at the UCI World MTB XCO (cross country Olympic) Championship in Australia was the best Latin American result in the competition in history.
“I’m very happy to return to Brazil Ride. I have stated several times that it is my favourite race. I was unable to bring any of my teammates, but there was a great opportunity to compete with Jiri Novak. The best thing is that he is very calm, so I’m very excited to run with him, a person who doesn’t stress. I’m going to get there well and fit, but I don’t want the performance or result stress. Jiri is very calm person and works in the same line as I do, aiming to finish the season well “, says Avancini.
Czech Jiri Novak ran the last three editions with Hans Becking and is looking forward for a new experience. “I look forward to Brazil Ride 2017 with Henrique. It will be fantastic,” said Jiri. “My first time in 2013 at Chapada Diamantina was very difficult and I could not complete it. In that same year, Henrique won and I realised at the time that he was a really strong athlete. Henrique did not compete in 2016 and just attended the event. That will make him very motivated, just like me. Now is the time to fight again for the yellow jersey, the general champion one,” says Jiri Novak.
Recognition – Six times Guidão de Ouro (for the best mountain bike competition in Brazil) award winner, BraZil Ride recognition is growing in the MTB community. At present, mountain bikers usually compare the event with the most important races of the world and have nicknamed the ultramarathon the “Giro de Italia of MTB”.
Photos by Fabio Piva and Juliano Augusto.