MARCIALONGA ATTRACTS MARATHON SPECIALISTS

Ski Marathon specialists pencil the Marcialonga day
Bauer, Dahl, Kjølstad, Svärd and Boner confirm their presence
The Swix Ski Classics series took off last weekend
Unique X-Mas presents available on www.marcialonga.it



Italy’s 2015 Marcialonga moves closer, in about 40 days over 7,500 cross country skiing lovers will gather in the alpine valleys of Fiemme and Fassa and some big names have already announced their presence at the start of the popular long-distance race. The renowned Swix Ski Classics series got on track last week-end and Marcialonga on 25 January will be the fifth leg out of nine. The first episode of the circuit was a 35k CT race in Livigno, same Marcialonga technique on half the distance, and Swiss Seraina Boner claimed the victory ahead of strong Katerina Smutna. Boner also won Marcialonga twice in the past few years and next January she could become the first woman to grab the title three times since 2003, when the classic technique became mandatory in the Italian event.
Along with Boner, homegirl Antonella Confortola booked her bib and so did Sweden’s Annika Löfström who was third last January in Cavalese, right behind the Swiss skier.
On the men’s side, Anders Aukland won the race in Livigno keeping back his countrymen Johan Kjølstad and Øystein Pettersen. Both the latter two registered to Marcialonga together with team mates John Kristian Dahl who closed second last winter, and Tore Bjørset Berdal. Oskar Svärd, Sami Jauhojärvi, Bill Impola and Jimmie Johnsson from Team Coop will also be at the start of 2015 Marcialonga and so will Daniel and Rikard Tynell.
Among the names registered in the past few days at the Marcialonga, Lukas Bauer is certainly the biggest one. A couple of months ago the Czech cross country superstar announced he would not start in the FIS Tour de Ski in order to solely focus on the World Championships scheduled in Falun next February. Bauer’s training plan to the Worlds includes several popular races he decided to join and Marcialonga will be one of them.
The last days before Christmas are usually a rushing time to find presents. On the Marcialonga official website there is an idea for all sport lovers that could make avoid all that. The Italian OC called it ‘A Simple but Special Gift’ and everybody can book a special greetings card to send via email to anyone who would enjoy a Marcialonga event in 2015. The three available events are the Marcialonga Story (24 January), the Marcialonga Cycling Craft (14 June) and the Marcialonga Running (6 September).