Gerard Minoves and Marta Torà lead the men’s and women’s classifications in MTB Epic 360º, while Miquel Ensenyat and Silvia Serafini are first in TrailRun Epic 360º after a first day that started with rain and ended with sun and wind.
Menorca (04/11/2022).- The ARTIEM Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º 2022 has lived its first day this Friday, November 4. A first stage where its 350 participants faced the hardest section of the route, the demanding north of Menorca, in a route of 68 km of distance and 1,578 meters of altitude between the Camí del Pilar and the naval base of Maó (31 km and 633 m.d. between Addaia and Maó for the Experience 360º modality). Gerard Minoves and Marta Torà came out as the first leaders in the MTB Epic 360º modality, while Miquel Ensenyat and Silvia Serafini were the fastest in TrailRun Epic 360º.
Rain to start
The runners awoke with the image of a wet landscape from the night rain and a sky that threatened more precipitation. The threat materialized under a light rain in the Camí del Pilar during the moments before the start; at eight in the morning for the cyclists of the MTB Epic 360 º and half an hour later for the runners of the TrailRun Epic360º.
The first hour or hour and a half of running developed with these conditions of cloudy skies and cool temperatures. The race head began to take shape. In MTB Epic 360º, Aaron Genestar and Gerard Minoves took the lead and rode together. Meanwhile, in TrailRun Epic 360º, in first place were Miquel Ensenyat and Hamal Villar as they passed through the Cavalleria area.
Sun to continue
From that moment on, the clouds dissipated and the rain disappeared to make way for a clear and sunny sky. The varied Menorcan landscape revealed its best version of bright colors when the race approached the Natural Park of s’Albufera des Grau.
As it passed through the natural space, the cycling route was neutralized. Aaron Genestar and Gerard Minoves slowed down and several pursuers grouped with them to make a group of half a dozen troops in the lead – although the race continued to play in favor of the two leaders.
In TrailRun Epic 360º, Miquel Ensenyat took advantage of the flatter and rolling terrain to accumulate his first advantages over Hamal Villar and stand out in first position, with fifteen minutes of advantage in Arenal des Castell.
Meanwhile, at eleven thirty in the morning, the Experience 360º modality, the third race of the event, started from Addaia.
Wind to finish
At the end of crossing the Parc Natural de s’Albufera des Grau, the race faced its final stretch, coinciding with a progressive increase in wind intensity. The last kilometers of the MTB Epic 360º modality, already outside the neutralized section, were like a long final sprint, of which Gerard Minoves took the best part. At the finish line located at the naval base of Maó, the Catalan was ahead in just over a minute and a half to Aaron Genestar, second. Both are good connoisseurs of the route.
The wind was blowing harder and stronger at the finish line, while there was a trickle of cyclist arrivals. The first to finish on foot was Álex Urbina, leader of the Experience 360º. Mari Allés, on the other hand, was the female leader.
The runners of the TrailRun Epic 360º long distance took a little longer. Miquel Ensenyat ended up maintaining the first position until the end. He crossed the finish line after 6 hours and 7 minutes of effort. Behind him, Hamal Villar sank and finished fourth (7h28′), surpassed by Mikel Domènech (7h13′) and Pep Vidal (7h24′). The Italian Silvia Serafini was the first woman to finish and was very close to them, with a time of 7 hours and 29 minutes.
Stage 2: Es Castell – Cala Galdana
The participants know that today’s results do not represent any real victory, as there are still many kilometers to travel in this ARTIEM Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º. Tomorrow, Saturday, November 5, the second stage will be held, starting in Es Castell and finishing in Cala Galdana (TrailRun: 54 km and 826 m.d. / MTB: 56 km and 855 m.d. / Experience: Es Canutells – Cala Galdana, 31 km and 587 m.d.). The south of Menorca in all its splendor, with its limestone rocks, its white sand beaches surrounded by pine forests and its ravines that give character to its relief.
The ARTIEM Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º 2022 is an event sponsored by the Fundació Foment del Turisme de Menorca, with the collaboration of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the Government of Spain, funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU and the Tourism Strategy Agency of the Government of the Balearic Islands.
