Race Preview and Start Lists: 2017 Fiuggi, Italy UCI Cyclocross World Cup – Eight Americans to Start

After the traditional World Cup stops at Namur and Heusden-Zolder over the Christmas holiday, the 2016/2017 Telenet UCI Cyclocross World Cup series returns on Sunday at a less traditional venue. Sunday’s race is being held in the Fiuggi Regione Lazio in Italy. Fiuggi is a small town 80km east of Rome in the foothills of the Apennine Mountains.

I can't pronounce the name of my next race. #cyclocross #TelenetUCICXWC

— Rebecca Fahringer (@GoFahr) January 10, 2017

The Fiuggi World Cup is not the first to be held in Italy. World Cups were held in Rome in 2012 and 2013. The two previous events were hosted by the ASD Romano Scotti amateur sports organization, which is also hosting Sunday’s World Cup event.

Back in 2008, Treviso, Italy hosted the UCI Cyclocross World Championships, with even the now-famous roadie Peter Sagan finishing on the podium and onto our print magazine’s cover.

The race is being held on the grounds of the Fiuggi thermal baths, so hopefully athletes will get a post-race trip to the spa with their entry fees.

Fiuggi World Cup Course Report

Avant-dernière manche de la #TelenetUCICXWC demain à #Fiuggi : quelques absents de marque mais la neige annoncée ! https://t.co/NuuaiCCzIs pic.twitter.com/mEGQ9avMSu

— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) January 14, 2017

Reports on weather and course conditions indicate the Fiuggi World Cup course could be similar to the snowy, icy conditions found in Hartford on Sunday.

I've never visited Italy in the snow – and I'm here to see what will be a potentially snowy cyclocross World Cup round at Fiuggi pic.twitter.com/dl2OxfB7r2

— Mark Walker (@cycloxersaurus) January 14, 2017

And the appropriately-named English UCI race announcer Anthony McCrossan says it will be a technical course:

We will turn it over to Sunday’s bronze medalist Kerry Werner for 140 characters of course preview and strategy:

Course here in #fiuggi is taped narrow and currently has black ice on gravel/grass to pave transitions. Psi is key! So is unclipping… pic.twitter.com/agQn7vGK5Q

— Kerry Werner (@kerryw24) January 14, 2017

Rebecca Fahringer reports there may be a lot of running and wet cobbles, the latter of which we did not see much of in Hartford:

While Courtenay McFadden explains the black ice is a big differentiator between Hartford and the Italian course.

Race Preview: Elite Women

For the Women, Marianne Vos will continue her don’t-call-it-a-comeback by taking the start line in Fiuggi next to fellow Dutch rider Sophie de Boer. Sanne Cant, Ellen Van Loy, Laura Verdonschot and relative newbie, Alicia Franck, just completing her first year racing cyclocross, will make up part of the Belgian contingent.

Did some laps in @FiuggiCross looking forward to the race! One year ago I rode my first cyclocross race in Lokeren??

— Alicia Franck (@AliciaFranck) January 14, 2017

A strong American contingent of Ellen Noble, Elle Anderson, Rebecca Fahringer, and Courtenay McFadden will be making the start. Noble currently leads the Women’s U23 series and will look to continue to hold onto the single red stripe jersey in Italy. Adopted American Katerina Nash and Nikki Brammeier of Great Britain will also be making the start.

Alice Maria Arzuffi and Eva Lechner lead a nine-rider contingent for the host Italians.

Race Preview: Elite Men

On the Men’s side, fans will not be treated the latest edition of the Mathieu van der Poel / Wout van Aert Trofee.

Van Aert will be making the start, but Van der Poel will not. Van der Poel suffered a neck injury in a scary crash at Azencross, but was able to return to the ‘cross course to win the Dutch National Championship on Sunday.

Lars van der Haar will be sporting his new Telenet Fidea Lions kit for the first time at a World Cup, and his fellow Lars, Lars Boom will also be making the start.

For the Americans, Sunday’s bronze medalist Kerry Werner leads a contingent that includes Jeremy Powers, Kevin Bradford-Parish, and Andrew Juiliano.

Canadian Youth Migrate to Italy

In the Men’s U23 race, Canadian Trevor O’Donnell will be making the start. In the Men’s Junior race, Canadians Gunnar Holmgren and Brody Sanderson will be hitting the Fiuggi start line.

How to Watch

The Fiuggi World Cup will be broadcast online on NBC Sports in the U.S. The Women’s race starts at 7:30am EST and the Men’s race at 9am EST. Some folks with a cable subscription should be able to watch at www.nbcsports.com. Others will have to be more creative with browser settings.

English commentary will be provided by Anthony McCrossan. McCrossan usually interacts with fans via Twitter, so we recommend tweeting questions and observations to him at @antmccrossan.

Cyclocross Magazine will be providing results for all races and full race reports for the Women’s and Men’s Elite contests, so stay tuned to right here for race coverage on Sunday.

See the official race website here, and Elite Women’s and Men’s start lists below.

2017 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Start List - Fiuggi, Italy - Elite Women

2017 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Start List - Fiuggi, Italy - Elite Men