Top riders Gerhard Kerschbaumer and Martina Berta are part of the Torpado factory team led by former professional rider Mauro Bettin.
In 2020, Ursus once again linked its name to that of Torpado MTB to create the Torpado - Ursus team, a Made in Italy partnership that has already "forced" the two Venetian brands to expand their trophy cabinets to make room for new trophies.
We're talking about the most successful team in Italy, having won two national XCO titles last year. A dominance that Team Manager Mauro Bettin hopes to extend for the long term, counting on the support of his most representative champions.
The training
The 2020 Torpado - Ursus team group, unveiled at the end of February, can count, as we anticipated, on two Italian flag jerseys.
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Gerhard Kerschbaumer is the most anticipated. The mountain biker from Verdignes di Chiusa (Verdignes di Chiusa) won the 2018 Italian XCO elite champion for the third consecutive season. This isn't a big surprise for someone who had already shown his mettle as an under-23, winning numerous European and world titles and competing in the 2012 London Olympics.
“Geri” will be called upon to face the difficult task of confirming his level, working on himself to remain among the top three riders in the world in 2020. -
Marina Berta is training to be a champion. The Aosta Valley biker was hailed as a star by the industry at the youth level, even becoming a Junior World Champion. After a less than successful stint in France that had caused her to somewhat disappear from the radar, Martina returned to racing in Italy, achieving the feat of wearing the Italian champion's jersey.
2020 represents her first year in the Elite category, a category in which Martina will have to demonstrate her ability to compete at an international level, following up on her stage victory at the 2019 World Cup in Lenzerheide. - Nicola Taffarel is Bettin's choice for the Under 23 category. Already a member of the national team, the young man from Vittorio Veneto will look to shine by competing at a high level among young athletes in Italy.
- Manuel Capra and Martin Mina will compete in the Junior category. The two youngsters will have the opportunity to grow alongside a champion like Kerschbaumer. It will be important for them to take advantage of this opportunity to improve their experience and riding technique, seeking a place in the challenging MTB landscape.
The MTBs of the Torpado - Ursus team
The Torpado-Ursus team will have two Torpado bikes at its disposal in 2020. The first, the Ribot-X , is a hardtail model, while the second is more geared towards XCO. The Matador X is Torpado's top-of-the-line full-suspension model. Both MTBs feature distinctly racing-inspired builds. The wheels are obviously designed by Ursus: for TorpRiders, we developed the Kodiak , a top-of-the-line wheelset whose secrets you can discover by reading this article we dedicated to it.
The objectives
The outlook for the new season was excellent. Before the coronavirus emergency, 2020 was the year of the Olympics , a major goal for Kerschbaumer in particular. A medal was within reach for the South Tyrolean champion, who now will have to be especially mentally strong to put the podium back in his sights in 2021.
In addition to their Olympic adventure, the team planned to make its mark internationally, aiming for World Cup podiums and a World Championships title. At the national level, both Berta and Kerschbaumer were expected to reconfirm their Italian national team jerseys.
During this time away from competitions, riders are training individually from home. The challenge right now is to stay in top condition and be at their best for a possible resumption of competitive activity.
In conclusion
Torpado - Ursus: the Italian XCO champions ride on Ursus wheels. In this article, we've introduced you to the Torpado - Ursus team. We've lent our name to a world-class MTB team, featuring two absolute champions: Gerhard Kerschbaumer and Martina Berta. We did this to support the Italian MTB movement, as well as to constantly improve our products through feedback from some of the world's best riders. While we wait to see the Torpado - Ursus team back in competition, we recommend checking out their wheels!
