Both from South Tyrol, representing the Dinamo Team, and Italian Long Trail champions of 2022.
Reiterer wins ahead of Cristian Minoggio and Andrea Rota.
Kessler leads the pack, preceding Marina Cugnetto and Chiara Pinarel.
The races were fiercely contested and exciting, thanks to the presence of a high-level field of athletes.
Several national trail, mountain running, and skyrunning champions chose Brunello Crossing to test their form once again this year.
Over 1,600 athletes participated.
MONTALCINO – Brunello Crossing upheld tradition, hosting fiercely contested races on the morning of Sunday, February 12th, thanks to the high level of athletes present, all absolute protagonists of trail running, mountain running, and skyrunning. They chose, once again this year, the race organized by Asd Montalcino Trail with the support of the Municipal Administration and the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium as a season opener.
Winning the 45km Banfi Trophy with a elevation gain of 1,820m, the flagship race, were the two Italian long trail champions of 2022, Andreas Reiterer and Julia Kessler, who repeated her success from last year. In the 24km Ciacci Piccolomini D’Aragona Trophy with an elevation gain of 1,050m, the fastest were Giacomo Forconi (Tornado) in 1:48’41” and Camilla Magliano (Dinamo Team) in 1:59’37”. Dominating the 14km Barbi Trophy with an elevation gain of 634m were Gabriele Torrini (G.S. Le Panche) in 1:03’57” and Pina Deiana (A.S.P.A. Bastia) in 1:07’47”.
The victory, in reality, belonged to all 1,600 athletes who enlivened the 6th Brunello Crossing: on a sunny day, the 1,000 participants in the three competitive races, representing 17 nations, were joined by 600 participants in the Brunello Crossing – Walk & Nordic Walking, a 13 km walk. It was an exhilarating sight to see the four serpentine lines stretching along a route that only a territory like that of the Val d’Orcia can offer: along white roads and single tracks, through hills and vineyards.
REITERER AND KESSLER IN THE 45KM – The men’s race of the Banfi Trophy was thrilling and balanced until the last kilometers, with three absolute protagonists from the start: Andreas Reiterer (Dinamo Team), Andrea Rota (O.S.A. Org. Sportiva Alpinisti/Team Salomon), and Cristian Minoggio (Dinamo Team). Reiterer led the race from the beginning, Rota challenged him closely, and Minoggio remained vigilant to not lose ground from the leading duo. At the 20th km mark, in Sant’Angelo al Colle, the South Tyrolean recorded a time of 1:31’15”, followed closely by the very young Rota – born in 2000 – in 1:31’28”. A few minutes behind, Minoggio passed through. At the 30th km, Rota closed the gap with Reiterer: their stopwatch showed the same time, 2:12’16”, compared to Minoggio’s 2:13’24”.
At the 38th km, 2 hours and 36 minutes into the race, Reiterer reclaimed the lead on his own, distancing Rota by 6 seconds, and crossed the finish line alone in Piazza del Popolo, winning the 6th Brunello Crossing in 3:08’16”, a full 10 minutes faster than last year’s time set by Davide Cheraz, who would then finish fourth. The battle for second place continued until the last meters, with Minoggio ultimately prevailing over Rota in 3:09’28”. Rota, slowed down by intestinal problems in the final stretch of the race, secured third place in 3:09’54”. Thus, the podium featured the bronze medalist from the 2022 Trail World Championships (Reiterer), the 2022 Skyultra World Champion (Minoggio), and the 7th place finisher in the 38 km Short Trail at the 2022 Mountain and Trail Running World Championships, making his debut in the Senior category (Rota).
Among the women, the duel unfolded between Julia Kessler (Dinamo Team) and Marina Cugnetto (Atletica Saluzzo/Team Scarpa), with Kessler leading from start to finish and crossing the finish line in 4:06’53”, with Cugnetto supporting the pace of the South Tyrolean throughout the race, arriving at the finish line just 11 seconds behind the winner, in 4:07’04”. Third place went to Chiara Pinarel with a time of 5:04’36”.
Andreas Reiterer (Dinamo Team): “Today was a real battle, it’s always exciting to race like this. The course is beautiful and very fast. Perhaps we started too strong, so much so that from the 20th to the 30th km, we slowed down a bit, only to pick up the pace again in the last 15 km.”
Cristian Minoggio (Dinamo Team): “I came to Montalcino to have a progressively paced race, and I achieved my goal and result. I’m happy. I managed to catch up with Rota right in the final stretches.”
Andrea Rota (O.S.A. Org. Sportiva Alpinisti/Team Salomon): “I experienced stomach pain in the last kilometers, so I had to slow down. Nevertheless, I’m happy; compared to last year, I dropped one position, but I shaved more than 10 minutes off my time (last year, I finished second in 3:21’59”).”
Julia Kessler (Dinamo Team): “I’m happy; confirming oneself is never easy, but I managed it. I like the course. As for next year? I never reveal the races I’ll participate in. Let’s talk about it in February 2024; for now, there’s a whole season to compete in.”
In the 24 km race, following the winners Giacomo Forconi (Tornado) in 1:48’41” and Camilla Magliano (Dinamo Team) in 1:59’37”, Stefano Butti (O.S.A. Org. Sportiva Alpinisti) finished second in 1:51’34” and Francesca Biagini (U.S. Nave) in 2:30’11”, while Alessio Donati (Trail Running Project) finished third in 1:54’24” and Ilaria Francalanci (G.S. Orecchiella) in 2:31’15”.
In the 14 km race, won by Gabriele Torrini (G.S. Le Panche) in 1:03’57” and Piana Deiana (A.S.P.A. Bastia) in 1:07’47”, Roberto Cucco (ASD SP Torre del Mangia) finished second in 1:05’45” and Gabriela Rocha in 1:14’33”, while Gioele Benigni (Unione Polisportiva) finished third in 1:06’59” and Silvia Gaffi (SSD Runner Trainer) in 1:15’26”.
Speaking of the organizer – Alessio Strada, head of the Asd Montalcino Trail: “My first thanks go to the 160 volunteers: it’s thanks to them that we managed to organize, once again this year, a high-quality event. And of course, to the Municipality of Montalcino, the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium, law enforcement, the Civil Protection, and the Red Cross, always ready to respond positively to our requests. Teamwork always pays off. Certainly, being a runner helps me better understand the needs of athletes of all levels: from logistics to the course, to services. Now the appointment is for next year, with the seventh edition.”