MAK @ MIRKO TESTA

30 August 2022

Canada, Austria or Abruzzo makes no difference: whether world championship, European championship or Italian championship, there is always at least one Active Team La Leonessa rider on the top step of the podium. Between world and European championships it had been Simona Canipari’s turn, while to wear the tricolor jersey at the end of the Italian Para-cycling Championships, raced last weekend in Avezzano (province of L’Aquila), are: MAK-sponsored athlete Mirko Testa and Mirko Pini, respectively winners of the national title in the MH3 (handbike) and MC3 (traditional bicycles, used by athletes with amputations or lower limb injuries) categories.

Testa’s victory is a confirmation: fresh off the world podium in Canada, the 25-year-old from Bergamo reaffirmed his hunger by taking two gold medals, Saturday in the time trial and Sunday in the road race. The finish of the “time trial” was exhilarating: at the end of a trial characterized by rain, which made an already complicated course even more treacherous, Testa completed the 32.5 kilometers in 36 minutes, 22 seconds and 9 tenths, just 34 hundredths ahead of rival Martino Pini. In contrast, the in-line race was without history, finishing more than 7 minutes ahead of second-placed Giacchino Fittipaldi. Double victory also for Mirko Pini, a 45-year-old from Villa Carcina who, in his debut at the Italian Championships, immediately hit the mark in both time trial and in-line, taking another huge satisfaction from a sporting journey with the bicycle that began only in February, after the amputation of his right leg.

She failed to complete her trio, however, Simona Canipari, who after winning both the WH1 world and European titles had to settle for two second places at the national level. In both events the Brescian finished behind Angela Procida, with her performance in the road race conditioned by the consequences of a fall she suffered on Saturday after the time trial. Two tricolor podium places also went to Giuseppe Uberti, third in both trials in the MH1 category, while Christian Giagnoni, Mirko De Cortes and Claudio Pietroboni returned from Avezzano with a bronze. The first two, in the MH4 and MH5 categories respectively, made it in the “time trial” but were forced to say goodbye to dreams of glory in the road race due to a puncture, while Pietroboni finished third on Sunday among the MH5s. Also of note were the good performances of Franco Tonoli, Alessio Scutteri, Mattia Guerini and Fabrizio Topatigh, who completed the Active patrol in Abruzzo, as always led by captain Sergio Balduchelli.

“They were two very intense and tiring days,” his comment, “in which the boys gave their best, achieving good results under the eyes of our president Marco Colombo. We were not very lucky, but the spoils are still positive: Testa did a great race, winning two golds as did Pini, for whom I am really happy. Despite being back from yet another leg operation, he wanted to be there at all costs and won. His enormous passion for cycling and desire to get involved are giving him great satisfaction.”