The Rome Air Force Command, on behalf of the Air Force General Staff, organized, with the valuable logistical support of the 4th Squadron Command in Grosseto, the 13th National Air Force Military Mountain Bike Championship within the Gran Fondo dell’Argentario organized by the A.S.D. “Argentario bike” held on March 27, 2022.
The race, starting and finishing in Porto Santo Stefano, took place on the promontory of Monte Argentario, with a 45 km route that was particularly difficult and treacherous given the terrain of the promontory itself, with a total of 1,500 m of ascent, which put the participants to considerable physical effort.
The Air Force participated in the event with 17 members out of more than 600 athletes from various local and national cycling associations, ranking among the most numerous representatives. The aviators came from various Italian bases including Verona Villafranca, Piacenza, Frosinone, Viterbo, Guidonia, Grosseto, Jacotenente and from Central Departments such as SMA and Comlog. Also present in this sporting context was the Polisportiva Aeronautica, which stood out for having enrolled several athletes.
At the end of the competition, Lieutenant Colonel Stefano Guidoni, after thanking the ASD Argentario bike for the excellent organization of the event and for the support and hospitality offered, began the award ceremony.
The A.M. race saw Marshal Gabriele Ferrante of the AM Marshal School of Viterbo triumph, thus winning the A.M. Championship 2022 title after finishing 3rd in the last edition. In 2nd place, half a lap behind the leader, giving rise to an exciting sprint, was Sergeant Italo Cicchinelli of the Rome Logistics Command, winner of the title in the last edition. In 3rd place, the 1st Chief Pilot Tommaso Tanzi of the 72nd Frosinone Squadron crossed the finish line. It should be noted that the first two AM athletes with their excellent times placed 17th and 18th in the overall ranking of the Gran Fondo.
