The reigning European champion, Tiago Ferreira, has just confirmed his presence for the Raid Evolénard 2020. And the Portuguese will not be coming alone, as his team, the DMT Racing Team By Marconi, will be there in full force. The Dutch champion Hans Becking, the Cypriot Andreas Miltiadis, the Portuguese Jose Dias and the Spaniard Pau Salva Martinez will all be there in the Val d’Hérens on June 21st!
With Tiago Ferreira, the organizers of the Raid Evolénard will have the chance to welcome in Evolène one of the best mountain bike marathon rider in the world. World champion in 2016, runner-up in 2017, European champion in 2019 and 2017, and silver medalist in 2016, the Portuguese rider has clearly shown he knows how to be ready when it really matters. One week after the 2020 European Championships in Portugal, Tiago Ferreira will do the trip to Valais to launch his preparation for the 2021 European Championships.
For the manager of the DMT Racing Team by Marconi, Andrea Marconi, the objective is clear: „For us, the World and European championships are the main objectives of the season, and we wanted to be present at Evolene to prepare as well as possible for 2021“. But if the goal will be to recognize the course of the Raid Evolénard for 2021, the Portuguese rarely travels to make up the numbers and will indeed be one of the big favourites for victory already in 2020.
Johann Tschopp’s course record in danger…
Tiago Ferreira’s chances of victory will be all the greater as he will be surrounded by many team-mates. The DMT Racing Team by Marconi, one of the most ambitious teams on the circuit, will be present in its entirety. Alongside Tiago Ferreira will be another top rider, Hans Becking, the current Dutch champion. The two riders are used to racing together and won the last edition of the Brazil Ride, ahead of the cross country specialists Fumic and Avancini.
Tiago will also be joined by his Portuguese compatriot Jose Dias, XCM vice champion of Portugal, but also by the young and promising Cypriot rider Andreas Miltiadis, national road and cross country champion, as well as the Spaniard Pau Salva Martinez, a leading figure among haemophiliac athletes. With such a team at the start of the Raid Evolénard, Johann Tshopp from Valais can be worried about the course record he set in 2015 during a race that made him Swiss marathon mountain bike champion!
