Frischknecht launches Maremma Cup

Two cross country stars, Swiss champion Thomas Frischknecht and Italian Martino Fruet, helped launch the Maremma Cup to be held in the hilly landscape of Maremma's Metalliferous Hills in Tuscany, Italy over the first two weekends of March.

The Maremma Cup includes two UCI category two events. It will feature a cross country race starting from Massa Marittima, Grosseto, and going through the upper part of this municipality, along the paths and hills of the Poggio park and surrounding forests, with a 5km circular route and a height difference of 120 metres, lap after lap.

The technical and demanding track will give cyclists the opportunity to test their conditions at the beginning of the season among views of the Follonica Gulf, the island of Elba and old settlements, villages and castles and a rich century-old cultural heritage.

Olympic Champion Julien Absalon, Jose Antonio Hermida, Florian Vogel, Miguel Martinez, Nino Schurter, Ral Naef, Roel Paulissen, Emil Lindgren, Marco Fontana, Kaschi Leuchs, Blaza Klemencic and Eva Lechner are among those already committed to start.

The programme includes a demonstration race on Saturday, February 28 along a circular, 500m track through the medieval streets of Massa Marittima as well as workshops and a mountain bike school for young riders in between the race weekends.

For more information, visit www.maremmacup.com.