Brazil in known for its beautiful beaches and amazing sceneries with hills and mountains looking over the water of the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, it doesn't always go as planned and the day when L'Etape Rio took place, the weather did not play his part to make this day a magical one!
Luckily, this year again, the Village made for a great day out before the jumping on the bike the next day. A lot of different exhibitors came over to make the public discover innovations in the bike industry, try clothing from the most prestigious brands and taste some new nutrition products.
You could even get a massage to get ready for the big day!
On Sunday, the 1300 riders of L'Etape Rio 2022 took the start through a sizzling rain and gusts of wind. 102km were still ahead of them. After a few kilometers in the city, along the beaches of Flamengo and Botafogo, the participants arrived at the bottom of the main climb of the day: Vista Chinesa. This 4km climb, with slopes averaging 9% could easily cut your legs for the rest of the event if you go too hard.
After coming down on the way back to Rio, the rest of the course was a lot easier, and almost completely flat. A good thing for the sprinters who thought they would be able to fight for victory! But Vinicius Moretti had something else in mind and attacked 12km from the finish line! This long effort would lead him to a beautiful victory at the end of this 102km race.
In the women's race, Fernanda Maceira Martello took the win.
This event would not have been possible without the help of Santander as a name sponsor. They were really important and supportive to the success of L'Étape Rio.
If you feel like taking part in the next L'Etape Rio (with hopefully a better weather), you can already register here. The event will take place from 23rd to 25th June 2023.
