Hundreds of cyclists and their families gathered at the Lastarria Downhill Cup
Pinkmud Team organized the event, held at the CMPC Lastarria Park in Loncoche in the Araucanía Region of Chile, which was sponsored by the company and the municipality.
The event was held in two stages. The first was on Saturday 23 during which participants were accredited, listened to a technical talk and trained for Sunday’s competition, which began at 9.30 AM with the Qualy with the grand finale starting around 2.00 PM. After a day of excitement and adrenaline, the awards ceremony was held to bestow the well-deserved awards on those who took the lead in each category.
The winners for the long-awaited Downhill Lastarria Cup are as follows: in the general men’s category, Hans Pulgar, Alejandro Moncada and Nicolás Espejo with times 2:35, 2:37 and 2:39 minutes; in the general women’s category, first place was taken by Catalina Acuña, second place by Gabriela Vera and Sofia Silva taking the third podium slot, with times of 3:18, 3:22, 3:35 respectively.
With the organization of the Pinkmud Team, and the sponsorship of CMPC and its Network of Parks and the Municipality of Loncoche, a new sporting milestone was achieved, bringing joy to all participants. Novena Racing rider Hans Pulgar took the overall men’s first place and said, “Yesterday we started with a cloudy test day, but the weather improved by the end of the day, so we were able to get in some good descents. I took first place in the classification today. I’ve been training for months in a gym in Los Angeles where we prepare my physique on a weekly schedule. Loncoche has always stood out for its track and wide routes, so the terrain is always exquisite here. You just have to get here, grab ahold of the rhythm and let go.”
For her part, Gabriela Vera, from Loncoche’s Pinkmud Team and rider of the Spotbike team of Valdivia said, “I am part of the organization. We put a lot of effort and heart into this, working hard to ensure a successful event. We are very happy with the turnout, and we appreciate everyone’s participation.”
CMPC Public Relations Deputy Manager for the Southern Territories Juan Pablo Fuentes said, “This park has been warmly received by Loncoche, a community that lives and breathes cycling. They’ve always maintained a relationship through the use, care and protection of our nearby forests. Many people don’t know where to go to get out in nature, so this is an opportunity for them. It is an ideal way to get some fresh air. The fact that CMPC has included Lastarria Park into the Bosque Vivo [Living Forest] project is an excellent and successful contribution.”
For her part, Carolina Campos, President of the Pinkmud Team cycling club said that today “we held the first edition of the Downhill Lastarria Cup for 2023, where we’ve gathered with more than 150 bikers and their families who’ve come to support us. We’d also like to thank our sponsors. This cup arose from the intention of a group of cyclists and their management team, made up mostly of women, who’ve understood the need for this extreme sport to be able to grow through this type of competition,” she said.
What’s Next
The sporting life goes on. The first opening date of the Araucanía Mountain
Bike Tour 2023 regional cross country championship will take place on October 1, also in the CMPC Lastarria Park. With a circuit of 33 kilometers at 1,100 meters of altitude, participants from various local districts in the region as well as neighboring regions such as Los Lagos, Los Ríos, Biobío and Maule will engage in this celebration of sport on two wheels through a championship supported by CMPC and the Cycling Federation of Chile, with participants’ scores accumulating into the national ranking.
Lastarria Park: family and sports center
Bosque Vivo in the CMPC Park Network is an initiative that seeks to turn the company’s premises into areas for engaging in sports and outdoor recreation. In addition, it seeks to foster the local economy working together with area residents.
CMPC Head of Community Relations Claudio Colipán highlighted the significant contribution to sports and family life while surrounded by nature that is provided by the Park. “These types of initiatives are ideal for neighboring communities of the park and distant ones as well to come and safely enjoy nature as a family. The Bosque Vivo project and the CMPC Lastarria Park in particular were designed with these goals in mind. We’re quite satisfied with what we’ve achieved so far,” he added.
