Leonardo Paez, one-man-show at the Hero Südtirol Dolomities

As the Hero Südtirol Dolomites approaches, one name stands out: Leonardo Paez . In the 2023 edition of the world's toughest mountain bike marathon, the two-time Marathon World Champion has once again added his name to the roll of honor, his eighth since the race began, which was also a high-level event in its last edition.

Leonardo Paez 's career has spanned more than 20 years, with the numbers of a true champion. He has won practically all the most important races, although the one closest to his heart, where his fans await him to celebrate, is the Hero Südtirol Dolomites. This year too, he ignited the competition, continued to dictate the rules, and dominated, opening up a significant lead over his opponents.

Leonardo Paez completed the 86-kilometer long course with 4,500 meters of elevation gain in a time of 4 hours 29 minutes and 5 seconds. The race was a one-man show, with the Soudal-Lee Cougan International Team rider accelerating after initial skirmishes on the Danterciepes and Pralongià climbs on the deadly Ornella climb, emerging from the woods with a nearly four-minute lead over his pursuers. The next 45 kilometers were a solo ride toward his eighth HERO victory, his second aboard the Lee Cougan Rampage Innova .

"I'm extremely happy with this victory, because the Hero is a very important race for me, one that has seen me grow, and every year I always find the motivation to return," Paez said. "There's no need for words today, I dreamed of it so much and I achieved it. This result wouldn't have been the same without the work of everyone close to me. This victory is for my wife Alice, who is my greatest motivation, my friends and everyone close to me who love me, and, of course, for the team that works so hard for us athletes, which should be mentioned by name in every single one of its members. This victory I dedicate to all our sponsors, with a special thanks to Soudal and Lee Cougan, whose bikes, equipped with top-of-the-line components from our technical partners, we demonstrated the competitiveness of our bikes."