Brasil Ride: Fini and Blums’ new win muddles the dispute for the title

Guaratinga (Bahia) - Owners of the Brasil Ride’s yellow Jersey, Danish Sebastian Fini and Latvian Martins Blums, CST Sandd American Eagle Racing Team, win another stage this Thursday, (23). With a time of 2h29min25sec to complete the stage, which consisted of two laps in a 36.5 Km circuit around Guaratinga, Fini and Blums finished 2min53sec ahead of the chasing peloton. For the third day in a row, runners-up were Brazilian Henrique Avancini and German Manuel Fumic, Cannondale Factory Racing, in 2h32min18sec. Russian Alexey Medvedev and Italian Francesco Failli completed the podium, finishing in 2h32min19sec.

“We didn't have high expectations of winning with such a gap. After the first singletrack we had a small difference ahead of the rivals, and we decided to try to win, because the other group might had stayed behind or could split to chase us. When we started the second lap, we were told that we were more than two minutes ahead, and we went full power”, said Blums. “We are closer to the leaders, but I think we also have to celebrate this victory. Let's see, we still have some days ahead of us, and we are going to give our best”, completed Blums.

“It's amazing to win another stage in Brasil Ride. We won two out of three stages. It’s unbelievable. This is Martins début, and for me, it's the second time, and we're very young. We made a good attack today, maybe a little too bold, but it worked, and we went full speed all the time. I have learned a lot from Hans last year, about attacking after Km 15 of the stage, and it worked today”, celebrated Fini.

Leaders in the men's elite, Portuguese Tiago Ferreira and Dutch Hans Becking, DMT Racing Team, finished in the chasing peloton, but in sixth, in 2h32min24seg, behind Brazilians Lukas Kaufmann and Sherman Trezza, from Cannondale Brasil Racing, and in fourth, Dutch David Nodemann and British Grant Ferguson, from CST Sandd American Eagle Racing Team. Ferreira and Becking are now 1min17sec ahead of the runners-up, Avancini and Fumic, who are just a second ahead of Fini and Blums.

“We are happy to keep the leadership, but I understand we were not objective today. Fini and Blums attacked and no one wanted to do anything about it. It was a tactical race, and Tiago and I didn't want to push too hard without the assistance of the others”, said Hans. “For us, everything remains the same. It was a different stage, but we do not understand why no other duo wanted to work. Neither Hans nor I would help another duo, and we did what had to be done. We knew that Avancini and Fumic's strategy was attacking in the first singletrack, and I decided to pass them at that moment and I rode ahead of them. I protected myself from possible attacks, and then we finished all together”, said Ferreira.

Women's elite - This Tuesday, leaders Jackie and Cindy showed that they really are the main favorites for the win. They had their third win in three stages, this time more minutes ahead of the rivals: 8min10 to the runners-up of the day, Spaniards Sandra Santaynes and Anna Ramirez, from Olympia/Esteve Team. Podium was completed by the leaders of the Americas, Viviane Favery and Marcella Toldi, Cannondale Brasil Women.

Fourth stage - the hardest of all, since it's the one with more climbing. The length is 100 kilometers, and 2,600 meters of climbing, with three steep ascents. Each one with around 2 very hard kilometers. One of them is called Pedra Da Batalha [the Battlerock], that is scary just to look at. Approaching the finish, there is the Subida das 7 Voltas [The 7-Turn Climb], where the athletes will face the Clear The Climb Redbull Challenge, for the athletes who ride all the way up without putting their feet on the ground. It has a very hard grade, and less than 4% of the participants can clear it. The stage mixes dirt roads and trails, and it's one of the most praised last season. Clean singletracks through cocoa farms.


Top 5 overall:

Men's: 
1-Tiago Ferreira (POR) / Hans Becking (NED) - 8h04min10seg
2-Henrique Avancini (BRA) / Manuel Fumic (GER) - 8h05min17seg
3-Sebastian Fini (DIN) / Martins Blums (LAT) - 8h05min18seg
4-Lukas Kaufmann (BRA) / Sherman Trezza (BRA) - 8h08min28seg
5-Alexey Medvedev (RUS) / Francesco Failli (ITA) - 8h09min59seg 


Women's:
1-Jaqueline Mourão (BRA) / Cindy Montambault (CAN) - 10h25min02seg
2-Viviane Favery (BRA) / Marcella Toldi (BRA) - 10h39min59seg
3-Sandra Santanyes (ESP) / Anna Ramirez (ESP) - 11h06min22
4-Paula Gallan (BRA) / Franciele Almeida (BRA) - 11h31min38seg
5-Cristiane Pereira (BRA) / Eliana Pinheiro (BRA) - 11h41min24seg


2018 Brasil Ride Stages:

Etapa 4 - Guaratinga - 101 km and 2.665 m de altimetry
Etapa 5 - Guaratinga to Arraial d'Ajuda - 140 km and 2.336 m de altimetry
Etapa 6 - Arraial d'Ajuda - 32,4 km and 664 m de altimetry
Etapa 7 - Arraial d'Ajuda - 43,8 km and 497 m de altimetry


Live Schedule - The ninth edition of Brasil Ride will follow the schedule of the last two editions, with live streaming for eight days, in the official fan page: www.facebook.com/BRASILRIDE. Check the days and times (GMT-3):


Wednesday - 10/24 - Start at 7:40 a.m.; Finish at 12:30 p.m.; and Prize ceremony at 6:45 p.m.
Thursday - 10/25 - Start at 7:40 a.m.; Finish at 12:45 p.m.; and Prize ceremony at 8:45 p.m.
Friday - 10/26 - Start at 9:40 a.m.; Finish at 11:25 a.m.; and Prize ceremony at 6:45 p.m.
Sunday - 10/27 - Start at 8:40 a.m.; Finish at 12:00 p.m.; and Prize ceremony at 8:45 p.m.  


The event - Considered the Giro d'Italia of the world MTB, the ultramarathon scheduled for 21-27 October in Bahia offers a challenge for the 540 participating athletes from all over the world. For seven days, the participants will ride for 600 km and endure almost 11,000 m of accumulated altimetry, between tracks and dirt roads that connect Arraial d'Ajuda, in Porto Seguro, to Brasil Ride Village, built annually in Guaratinga. On the last day of the competition, on Saturday (27), another 1,200 cyclists from all over the country join the stars of the international mountain bike race for the Marathon of the Discoveries. A unique opportunity to ride side by side with the bestmountain bikers in the world.

The ninth edition of Brasil Ride has Specialized, Shimano, Caixa and Unidas as sponsors. Government of Bahia, through the SUDESB (Superintendence of Sports of the State of Bahia) and Bahiatursa (Superintendence of Tourism Promotion of the State of Bahia), also sponsor the ultramarathon, while the Municipalities of Porto Seguro and Guaratinga are among the supporters.


Videos and slideshows: youtube - wetransfer

Stage 1:
Vídeo - https://youtu.be/CcduJ8RGGww
Slideshow - https://youtu.be/8lbrO1xTLMU
Wetransfer - https://we.tl/t-t644YMd1G3

Stage 2: 
Vídeo - https://youtu.be/_oBSy4DLihU
Slideshow - https://youtu.be/zMYfhZZr0F0
Wetransfer -https://we.tl/t-5rewGncXHP

Stage 3:
Video - https://youtu.be/4Lb_0CwSxdU
Wetransfer - https://we.tl/t-1k2RknUEd0
Slideshow - https://youtu.be/yldPy3EzMk4

Results on www.brasilride.com.br

Brasil Ride: More than a race, a stage in your life.


Website: http://www.BRASILRIDE.COM.BR
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BRASILRIDE
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brasil_ride
Instagram: https://instagram.com/brasilride

Gustavo Coelho / Doro Jr. - Mtb 13209
E-mail: gustavo@zdl.com.br / dorojr@zdl.com.br
Phone: +55 11 32855911 / Cell phone: + 55 11 9.8457-9699

Translated by: Rosita Belinky - robelinky@gmail.com

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