The spotlights of the Italian League were once again on the second stage of the Hike&Fly Italia 2024 championship. AKU is the main sponsor of the entire competition and Flyrock GTX the official footwear. Hosted by the Paradelta club in Feltre (BL), the pilots competed over the weekend of 11 and 12 May in one of the most fascinating spots of the championship: the Vette Feltrine, UNESCO heritage site.

In this stage the athletes have a maximum time of 30 hours to reach the furthest possible point and then return to the start. This formula provides maximum freedom for each participant. The only rules of engagement are the main ones of this new eco-friendly and environmentally friendly discipline: it is only allowed to ascend on foot and then fly to the landing point taking advantage of winds and currents.
The pilots departed at 9.30am from the Boscherai and immediately split into various groups according to their strategy: some flew towards the Vicenza area, others in the foothills towards Friuli and still others chose a line towards Belluno. At the end of the evening the result was that the furthest point was reached by Michal Gierlach, he had arrived almost in Slovenia. Centa and Scalet were already on their way back to Belluno, having set the point on San Simeone at the foot of Lake Cavazzo (Gemona del Friuli). During the night many pilots continued their journey (in the FUN category, a night stop from 24.00/04.00 is mandatory, while in the PRO category there are no restrictions).
In the morning, the ringing of the bell at the finish line marked the end of the race for some riders. The arrivals followed one after the other when, at the bottom of the valley, the paraglider of an amazing Valentina Porro could be glimpsed, followed by a very good Silvia Galli and Rachele Favarotto who landed only 30 minutes before the end of the maximum time. At this point, Michal Gierlach and Conci were expected, and the two athletes played a team game on the way back, sharing strategies. The well-deserved victory goes to Gierlach, who covered a total of 230 km between round trip and return in the 30 hours.

This new 30-hour formula put all the pilots to the test and they had to put all their experience into play: a race where you have to manage your strength and be able to read and assess the weather and environmental conditions. The rankings at the end saw Micael Gierlach as the winner, followed by Tita Scalet and Ivan Centa in the PRO category. Simone Sassudelli, Mattia Biz and Valentina Porro in the FUN category.

We look forward to seeing you in Sesto Pusteria on the weekend of 15/16 June for the third stage!