On the weekend of April 20th and 21st, the ninth edition of Mad of Lake, the only urban downhill race in Italy, will take place in Toscolano Maderno. This crazy and adrenaline-fueled event attracts numerous enthusiasts every year who gather to witness the spectacular jumps of the participants along a 1.5 km course filled with obstacles.
The descent lasts about two and a half minutes and offers a breathtaking spectacle. Last year’s winner was Czech rider Tomáš Slavík with a time of 2’27″255. The “madmen of the lake,” as the participants are called, literally land on the finish line in Piazza San Marco, where many fans gather.
The race presentation took place on Friday at the paper museum in Valle delle Cartiere, in the presence of Mayor Chiara Chimini. Mad of Lake is considered a unique event in Italy, and its presence in Lombardy is a source of pride. The competition has a national reach but also attracts international athletes.
Among the confirmed participants are important names in the world of urban downhill such as Tomáš Slavík, a three-time winner of Mad of Lake, Michal Prokop and Martin Brza from the Czech Republic, Fernando Andres Cruz Agredo from Colombia, and Harry Molloy from England. Italians to keep an eye on include Albert Hannes and Christoph Moser from South Tyrol and Luca Comai from the province of Brescia, the top amateur rider in 2023.
The organization of the event involves around 150 people, with twenty volunteers on the race course. The program includes free practice on Saturday morning and qualifying rounds in the afternoon. As tradition dictates, the Matteo Fausti Memorial Trophy will be awarded, in memory of a cyclist from Brescia who passed away eleven years ago. This year, one of the fastest participants will be awarded in the categories of Beginners, Juniors, Women, and Amateurs.
On Sunday, there will be free practice in the morning and race heats in the afternoon. For more information, you can visit the website madoflake.it.
Italian Version
